Chapters The dark coated unicorn sat behind his desk in a stylishly decorated, yet simplistic office. Behind him, the backdrop of Fillydelphia’s skyline completed the look of the room as it spread across his panoramic windows.
The sun, setting behind him, cast his office in an orange glow creating a glare that was starting to annoy him. His mood was fair enough but the sun was only accentuating the stress of the day. He pressed a button on his desk which dimmed the windows to a tolerable level. This only served to remind him that the day was at an end. It was finally time to address them.
“Dahlia,” he said, pressing his hoof on the intercom.
“Yes, Director?” a cool female voice replied.
“Send them in.”
The director placed the files in his desk’s drawer and waited for a group of six ponies to enter his office. Stepping in, they stood side by side facing him quietly and respectfully. Three mares and three stallions, three unicorns and three pegasi. He had hoof-picked them, he had trained them. And now they were finally ready for the most important task that befell his agency. He surveyed them with a sense of conceited pride. They were his most valuable assets, his crowning achievement. He let them stand there for just a few more moments as he gathered his thoughts before finally addressing them.
“You all know your charges. You have studied them, you have immersed yourself in them and now they are your responsibility.” He regarded them all once more, smiling for a moment before continuing. “Each and every one of you has demonstrated your prowess, your physical and mental abilities and your initiative as my most elite agents. My Protectors.”
The ponies continued to stand quietly in there spots as the director now focused his attention on a single and attractive unicorn mare. She had a bright yellow coat, a white mane with a single streak dyed grey and her long tale was tied in a fashionable knot, leaving the end to curl down. Her cutiemark bore the iconic image of the smiling and frowning drama masks. Firefly was a brilliant manipulator and an astounding undercover agent, not to mention her combat abilities. She was the crowning jewel of all six of them.
“Agent Firefly,” he began. “Your charge is of the utmost importance. I don’t like placing Twilight Sparkle above the other five but she is now a princess and, as such, requires a more astute Protector. We have every confidence that you realize the heavy burden we have placed upon you and will protect your charge with your life.” The ponies around her gazed at her with appraisal as she nodded appreciatively at the director.
“I believe it has been mentioned before but I will say it again,” the director continued, his focus now on everypony in general. “Nopony, not a single soul, can know of who you are and what you do. Especially your charges. They will continue their lives in complete ignorance of your existence. Should the day come where it is utterly necessary to expose yourself, then it is to be done with discretion and deception. Should you ever become captured or interrogated, it is at this agency's liberty to disavow any knowledge of you. But of course, this goes without saying.”
The director stood up and surveyed them one last time before nodding with finality. The six ponies exited his office as quietly as they entered, the door shutting automatically behind them. He waited for a few moments before walking over to his filing cabinet and extracting a small folder labelled ‘classified’ and setting it on his desk.
“Dahlia, we did well today,” he said, placing his hoof on the intercom once more. “Take the rest of the night off.”
“Yes sir. Have a good evening, sir,” Dahlia replied.
His smile quickly faded into a pained grimace as his attention focused back on the file. Slowly, he sat back down at his desk and opened up his drawer. He winced at the site of an ancient codex stored neatly inside it. It had always sent chills down his spine whenever he recalled its dark and for foreboding contents. Slowly he placed his hoof on the old tome and brushed it against the book's hard and ornate cover before he pulled it out and placed it on his desk next to the file. Pushing the file aside, he hesitantly opened up the codex to a page he had earmarked once before.
His grimace now turned into a frown as he read the contents of the page, then reading it again and again, evaluating every sentence carefully. Finally, he reached over to the file and pulled out a single document. He looked back and forth between the page in the codex and the piece of paper in his hooves and sighed with resigned dread.
Placing the piece of paper down on the table and standing back up, he turned and walked towards his window and the view of Fillydelphia. He stood there and contemplated what he had just worked out in his mind. The gravity of which scared him for the first time in ages. For now it had felt real, no longer a simple fairy tale turned horror story. This document and the codex had confirmed something that, if made public, would shake the very foundations of all that was believed to be true of ponykind and the monarchy. The director shuddered at the thought that what everypony grew up believing was nothing but the greatest lie that was ever told.
Chapter One: In The Shadows
Five years later.
The sun shone magnificently in the Canterlot skies without a single cloud in sight. The weather team chosen had consisted of specially selected pegasi straight from Cloudsdale to ensure that today, and the rest of the week for that matter, was going to be perfect. Not a single detail in the sky's clarity would be missed and it was all organised for the most auspicious and anticipated event of the year. The Wonderbolts were in town for their final show of the season before Winter Wrap-Up. A performance rumored to be an air show that everypony would remember.
This was in no small part due to Rainbow Dash’s first major performance as the new captain of their team. Her talent and pure showponyship had quickly made her an icon throughout Equestria in her two year tenure as a Wonderbolt. Ponies all around the main arena where the show was to be performed had come dressed for the occasion, sporting Rainbow Dash flags and t-shirts as if she was the only Wonderbolt they had truly wished to see.
A light grey pegasus with a black mane and the cutie mark of a scroll behind a silver shield headed on hoof through the bustling outside square of the arena. The throngs of crowded vendors and sitting areas had never been as busy as they were today since everypony was capitalizing on the event. Stopping outside a rather long queue for cider, the pony reached into the pocket of his overcoat to check if he had brought his money pouch.
“You think they’ll run out?” a feminine voice from behind him asked.
“Only if I’m buying,” the pegasus replied, turning his head to the side.
Behind him stood an attractive mare named Firefly. She wasn't sporting any Rainbow Dash merchandise but she was holding a small flag with the previous Wonderbolt captain’s cutiemark on it. She smiled and passed it to him.
“Remember when you used to have such a fancolt crush on Spitfire?” Firefly chimed with a grin.
The pegasus took the flag into his hoof and placed it behind his ear. “I try not to,” he chuckled. “How ya been, darlin’?”
“’Darlin’?’” she asked with a barely suppressed grin. “Why you haven’t called me that in ages, Agent Hat Trick.”
“Some things never change, I guess,” Hat Trick shrugged. “It’s been years since I last saw you. So… uh… what brings you here?”
“Same thing that brings you here… agent,” Firefly said, gesturing to a giant billboard that hung over the main entrance to the stadium. It bore an artist's rendering of Rainbow Dash flanked by two other Wonderbolt flyers, Fleetfoot and Soarin, just as she is about to perform a sonic rainboom. “You know, all her friends will be here today. Twilight, Applejack… That means all of us are here too. In some form or another.”
“Right,” murmured Hat Trick. “I've just been so busy lately, I… haven’t really kept track of old friends. Not that its any excuse, but keeping an eye on Miss Captain of the Wonderbolts has been really hard lately. What with all the fan attention she's been getting recently.”
“Oh...” Firefly looked at him with an expression he couldn't quite place. Was it sadness?
“And then of course Rainbow Dash’s security has been so tight, it’s been hard keeping an eye on her without raising too much suspicion,” said Hat Trick, ignoring the look she gave him. "With her new found celebrity status, I haven’t been able to just waltz behind her everywhere.”
“Well… I watch over a Princess , Hat,” she replied with the hint of a snarky comeback. “I can’t exactly hide in her royal compact now can I?”
Hat chuckled, causing her to smile once more. Perhaps she was simply just pulling his hoof.
They reached the front of the queue and Hat offered to buy her a pint to which she graciously refused. “I’m on the job, sweetie,” she booped his nose, “aren’t you, too?”
“Let’s say it’s my day off,” he pulled out his ticket to the show. “Besides, she’s got the best security money can buy.”
“That she does… I’ll see you around then. Take care… agent Hat Trick.” Lightly kissing Hat on the cheek, Firefly turned and pranced towards the main entrance leaving him feeling a pang of regret as he watched her leave, a strew of old memories with her resurfacing.
“That’ll be 10 bits, sir.”
“What?” he stammered, turning to the vendor. “Oh yeah, sure.”
After paying for his beverage, Hat decided to take a small walk to the fountain area. Sitting down, he took a large sip, immediately calming his nerves and relaxing him a little. How long had it been? Two years since he had last seen Firefly? Two years he’d been away from her and not thought about her once. Did that make him a bad pony? No. It was the work. It had to be. It was what he was good at and she knew it. Besides, she had responsibilities of her own. It was just... unprofessional.
Perhaps the feeling was mutual and all this was simply a coincidence. She had been candid enough. Friendly even. She knew the risks just as much as anypony when it came to their line of work and feelings tend to get in the way of objective thinking. She had to know that. Or had she sought him out just to see him again? Even if only briefly? Hat finished his cider rather quickly, stood up, feeling a little warmer, and made his way to the main entrance while gazing up at the billboard. Yes. That was his charge, and it made him happy. At least, that's what he told himself.
The pony checking tickets had just admitted a group of colts before turning to Hat with a bored and almost vacant expression on his face. Hat passed him the slip of paper and was ushered through into a narrowing corridor leading into the opening of a large arena. He passed through and finally laid his eyes on the site of the Wonderbolt show.
Complete with rings of varying heights and floating obstacle courses designed to challenge the flyers to perform impossible feats, It amazed him how anypony had the skill to manoeuvre through these courses like they did. Gazing at his own wings as he climbed the stairs of the slowly filling stands to his seat, he wondered if he could one day have a go at pulling off one of these obstacles. Of course he knew he was a competent flyer, but being able to master the twists and turns of this course as well as Rainbow Dash required a whole new level of talent.
Finally Hat found his seat in the upper stands and plonked himself down. The seats here were filling with ponies rather quickly now and he soon found himself sitting next to an old pegasus on one side and a family of unicorns on the other.
Luck would have it that the colt of the family would be right next to him crying about not being able to get a Rainbow Dash T-shirt.
“We’ll get it on the way out, kiddo,” said the father.
“But Ah want it nooow!” cried the colt in anguish.
“We can’t get it now, we just sat down.”
“Its fine, honey,” said the mother. “I need to go fetch some napkins for our apple candies. I can quickly scoot over and grab one.”
She stood up and headed back down the stairs. The father turned his head to Hat, smiling at him awkwardly as if to apologize. Hat returned a smile then focused straight ahead of him.
The arena’s expansion was vast and he could see the main boxes on the opposite end where very important ponies would sit to watch the show. He could just make out the royal suite where he assumed Princess Luna and Celestia would be. Twilight Sparkle would likely be there too, hell, even Firefly herself if she was audacious enough. Then again, she was always good at blending in with high society. Twilight could shake Firefly’s hoof multiple times and still have no idea who she was. The stands sparked to life as a single pegasus flew in from one of the box suites landing on a podium in the middle of the arena.
“Mares and stallions! Fillies and gentlecolts!” The pony announced through a megaphone. “Welcome to this year’s final show of the Wonderbolts! It’s with great honor that I announce the arrival of none other than the previous Wonderbolt Captain… Spitfire!”
The crowd cheered and hoof stomped as Spitfire flew in from bellow the central podium and around the stadium, landing on another podium raised above the commentator. Hat felt his cheeks redden as he pulled the flag out from behind his ear and began to wave it along with the crowd.
“Fleetfoot!”
Another Wonderbolt appeared from an entry point onto the arena. Flying low around the ground and on the outskirts of the stands. She quickly waved to her fans and landed on another podium opposite Spitfire.
“Aaaaaaaaannd RAINBOW DASH!”
The crowd erupted with thunderous stomping as the cyan pegasus flew up into the air from behind the arena and rocketed around the stadium so quickly that she was up in the air and waving from above before the crowd could even cheer her extravagant arrival. She flew back down and landed on a podium in-between the other two.
“I give you… THE WONDERBOLTS!”
The show had kicked off with some of the most spectacular displays of flying Hat had ever seen. His eyes had never left Rainbow Dash as she flew in and out of her obstacles with ease. Hat knew he should have spent more time surveying the area for possible threats but for the first time in years it was nice to simply just… watch her.
The show continued with some amazing synchronized team flying and a couple of occasions where lucky pegasi from the audience were invited to fly along with them. The show finally ended off with the moment everypony had been waiting for. The little unicorn beside Hat had practically wet himself in anticipation for the announcement of Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom.
She had reared herself and flew high into the cloudless sky. The crowd then began to die down and silence grew among them as Dash arched gracefully in the air and thundered back down gaining momentum. Faster and faster she flew as a rainbow colored tale line began forming behind her. The air around her seemed to distort as she reached the moment where she tore through an invisible barrier.
The sound that followed was deafening as a massive rainbow colored flash illuminated the sky. The sonic wave created by it blew back the manes of everypony in the audience.
It was then that Hat noticed it.
Somewhere in the back of the farthest and most deserted corner of the stands a dark shadow was illuminated by the flash. There, standing in the brightened corner, was a large and demonic creature. It was taller than any alicorn Hat had ever known and much balkier too. Its horn was shaped almost like a blade, its massive wings furled neatly to its sides and its eyes were a luminescent green. The creature sent a chill down Hats spine as its head followed Dash.
And then it was gone. The dark shadow had been cast back over the corner of the stands and what looked to be there, wasn't there anymore. The cheering and stomping crowd had made it hard for Hat to get a second look. But it had been there. His muscles tensed and his wings had begun to unfold. His head shot back to Dash doing a victory lap of the arena and landing with ease back on her podium, Spitfire and Fleetfoot flanking her. Nopony had seemed to notice the figure but Hat.
The announcer had flown back down to the center podium to say some final words but Hat wasn't listening. He shot a glance at the royal suite. Had Firefly seen it too? And for that matter, had any of the others? Because if Firefly was here, and the mane six were here watching their friend perform, it stood to reason that the other Protectors would be here too.
Hat stood up and made his way down towards the nearest exit point. There were quite a few other ponies doing the same thing too, making his planned swift exit almost impossible. Yet, there was no need to cause any unwarranted panic on a whim. He would simply find Firefly and ask her if she had seen the same thing he had. He was certain it wasn't just a trick of the light, something that big and distinctive looked as if it had come out of a horror film. His mind continued to reel over what it was as he made his way down to the main entrance and back out to the plaza.
The main body of the crowd was beginning to make its way out of the arena now. Hat trotted back over to the fountain and stood watching the entrance. There was no way he was ever going to simply spot Firefly leaving. This was hopeless, he had to try and contact her. Reaching into his overcoat pocket, he tried to feel around for a crystal orb the size of a marble, but it wasn't there. The one day he chose to leave his magical communicator at home.
“You’re getting sloppy, agent,” he muttered to himself darkly.
Deciding he was less likely to randomly bump into her again, Hat turned to leave. He didn't live too far from here and maybe he could get home in time to contact Firefly before she left for anywhere outside of Canterlot. Then again, why would she? She lived here too. Hat felt another pang of guilt for his inability to remain in contact with somepony he had once, and still did, called a friend. He would have to make his way out of the arena complex before taking flight as it was technically a no fly zone. So with a hint of impatience, Hat took a brisk trot through the slow paced exodus of ponies towards the main entrance gate.
As he shuffled through pony after pony, his thoughts started to linger on Rainbow Dash. Here he was, running away from the situation when he should be there making sure she’s okay. Wasn't that his job after all? Then again, it would be hard trying to explain flying in and grabbing her to his superiors on the offed chance he may have seen a threat. Not to mention exposing himself to her. Then his thoughts lingered on the image of the thing he had seen. An alicorn . To his knowledge only four of them existed and they were all mares. What he saw had the distinct features of a stallion. A very large stallion with wings that must have been twice the length of Hat’s body. And what was it doing here? The more he thought about it the less sense any of it made.
Hat finally reached the exit and unfolded his wings along with a few other pegasi. Bending his legs, he launched himself into the air and immediately felt the freedom of the skies above him. Being a pegasus had to be one of nature’s greatest gifts, he thought as he felt the cool air rush against his face. He gathered speed and flew in the direction of one of Canterlot’s residential districts.
Hat’s apartment was located on the mountain side of Canterlot. It was a modest and quiet area where the neighbors tend to keep to themselves, for the most part. The local tavern was just a few blocks away and the Library that Rainbow Dash frequented happened to be in the same area. This lifestyle suited him perfectly. But the only problem was that it was temporary.
Hat went wherever Dash went and since she was now the Captain of the Wonderbolts it meant she would be moving back to Cloudsdale. Not that he minded, particularly, but some places are best left in the past. His life before being a Protector was less than fortunate. Losing his mare and filly had knocked him down and he had wondered if he would ever be able to get back up again. Living away from where it all happened helped him a bit. But the prospect of returning was weighing down on him more and more every day.
He landed outside his building, headed inside and upstairs to apartment 18. His home for the past 5 years. He fiddled with his keys, found the right one and unlocked his door. The stale smell of alcohol in tobacco hit his nose as he made his way inside. His apartment was sparse and a little cramped. One small bedroom, a bathroom, a study and a small kitchenette that shared space with a dining room. The area may have been modest, but living in Canterlot either meant you had money or a shoe string budget.
Hat walked straight from outside, into his lounge and towards the study. The room had a small window with curtains drawn shut, a desk with a bunch of files and papers strewn across it and a wall behind it covered in a collage of pictures of Rainbow Dash and scribbled notes on her activities. Anypony seeing this would be more than a little worried about how detailed it was. Every daily routine and every major event of her life was all cataloged here in organised chaos. Hat arrived at his desk and started searching through the stacks of files for his magic communicator. Then finding the small clear orb under a file labelled “Winter Wrap-up”, he placed it on an empty part of the desk.
“Ping Firefly”, he said clearly.
The orb turned white and began to glow as he waited for a response. He waited and waited until finally the orb turned green and Firefly’s voice emanated from it.
“This is Firefly”, she said casually.
“Hey darlin’”, he said back.” You still there at the arena?”
“Hat? Miss me already?” she teased.
“I thought maybe we could meet up for a quick drink later. Ya know? For old time sake.” This was not entirely untrue. Seeing her again under more relaxed circumstances may help him think straight. Besides, seeing a giant, monstrous alicorn wasn't exactly something he wanted to blurt out over a communicator when he had no idea if anypony else may be listening.
There was a slight pause, then…
“Sure, Hat. I’d like that…”
“Should I come to you or would ya maybe wanna meet me at the bar down from where I stay?” he asked.
“Which one is that, again?”
“Ermm, remember that night when you, me and Halcyon were celebrating our graduation?” he said hesitantly. “The night where she left early and it was just… us?”
“Vaguely…” she was starting to sound uncomfortable. “I’ll find it. When do you want to meet?”
“Sundown. See you then?”
Another pause.
“Sure. See you then.”
The communicator went white then clear again. Hat turned and trotted to his couch in the lounge and plonked himself down. She hadn't seen it. There was no hint of worry or urgency in her voice. Everything was fine. But he could at least mention it to her, maybe even get her thoughts on the matter. But the thought of trying to explain seeing a demon to someone as pragmatic as Firefly seemed a moot point. On the other hoof, he could at least look forward to drinking with an old friend again. He guessed.
It was a cool spring’s eve in Cloudsdale and the smell of the early afternoon showers had lingered in the air. It was the most distinctive and memorable smell the pegasus would ever know.
He was walking down a short corridor towards the sound of his mare’s laughter.
“Hat! Come look at what she’s doing!” She called out to him.
“Comin’, darlin’!” He called back, picking up the pace and heading to the first door on his left.
Opening it, he stepped into a small room. There he saw his mare with her back to him and a filly no older than three years old stretching her wings and attempting to fly. Her first try hadn't even seen her hooves off the ground. But after the third attempt she was able to keep herself hovering three feet in the air, her tiny wings fluttering madly.
“Can you believe this?” his mare said with astonishment. “She’s flying! At three!”
The filly saw her father and began to smile, losing concentration and flopping to the floor with a light thud. Hat rushed over to her and lifted her up.
“Careful, now,” he chuckled, tickling her belly. “You don’t wanna lose your wings just after you learn how to use em!”
“She has her dad’s talent for flying it seems,” said the mare from behind him.
“But her beauty and her eyes, that she gets from her mom.” Hat turned with a smile to his wife but was instead met with a pair of luminescent green eyes attached to a dark monstrous form. He tried to scream but no sound escaped him. His filly’s room disappeared and he was engulfed by darkness.
***
Hat awoke on his couch with a start, feeling cold sweat upon his brow. He turned over and looked out the window at the dark sky outside, trying to bring his thoughts back to reality. The dream he had was the same as it had always been, yet the dark presence was a new addition. It somehow made things more personal all of a sudden.
With reality dawning on him, Hat realized he was late for his date with Firefly. Wait, why did he just think of it like that? It was a meet up at a bar. Simple. Swearing loudly, he jumped off the couch and trotted to his bathroom to sort out his sleep disheveled mane. There was a time when appearance meant something to him. Perhaps the recent years had dulled his ability to care but something about meeting up with Firefly, even if only just for business, sparked up his attention to good grooming.
Feeling as though he looked presentable enough, he dashed into his lounge, grabbed his overcoat and headed down towards his apartment’s entrance.
Tonight was uncomfortably warm, he could feel the lingering presence of a hot and dry day in the air. Ahead of him was the ever present backdrop of the Canterlot royal castle. No matter where you went in the city, its divine structure always loomed over you. Some ponies thought that it was to keep everypony in the mind-set that Celestia and Luna were always watching over them. Hat, on the other hoof, believed it was to maintain a sense of omnipresent power over its subjects.
Although it was quicker to fly, he decided trotting the few short blocks to the bar would help him better prepare for what he was about to say to his colleague. He doubted she would be in the best of moods since she’d most probably been there waiting for a while now. Not the best way to rebuild an old relationship but then again that wasn’t why Hat was meeting with her. Or was it?
There were a few ponies out and about, a couple of colts were kicking around a ball in an alley and a single pony had her head out her window smoking a cigarette. Hat continued down the road until he reached the corner bar. It was a quaint little dive that was frequented by some of Canterlot’s less than snooty clientele.
Hat pushed open the door and stepped inside the dimly lit and stale smelling room. There were three or four ponies here all in all. Two of which sat at the far side of the bar and a unicorn couple in the upfront booth. Hat immediately spied Firefly sitting alone at the corner of the bar's L-shaped bend. She had a martini in front of her and a dour expression on her face.
Yip, Hat called it.
“Howdy, Hat," said the barpony, Firefly turning her head at this. “The usual?”
“Not sure,” Hat looked into Firefly’s eyes. “I’ll tell you in a minute.”
He smiled at the barpony and sat down next to Firefly who waited until he had hung his overcoat around the stool before finally saying anything.
She stared at him for a second then gazed around the bar with a disgusted look on her face. ”Wow, Hat, you sure know how to pick them, don’t you?”
“Yeah well… this way I don’t have to travel too far when out of it,” he intoned with a grin. “I’m sorry about this, darlin’, I kinda fell asleep.”
“Well you’re only an hour late, so…” She turned back to her glass and started swirling the clear liquid inside before finishing it.
Now that he was sitting he could properly regard her. She looked good. Her mane was straightened and looked as if it had just been especially washed, her eyelashes were primed and a pretty silver bracelet adorned her left forehoof. The odds were that she had intentionally dressed up for Hats benefit, which in no way made him feel any less guilty.
“Hey… You look really”, he gazed at her bracelet, “shiny.”
Shiny? Seriously, Hat? He sighed at how out of touch with all this he was.
Firefly snorted and turned to him smiling. “Smooth, Hat, really smooth”, she turned in her stool to face him. ”Do you like it? Gold doesn't quite suit me since, well…” she gazed at her bright yellow coat.
“It’s nice…” he smiled at her. “So, could I get you your next drink?”
“Sure. Its not like you weren't paying for the last one either.” She turned her attention to the barpony. “Vodka, lime and lemonade.”
“Make that two, and… make mine a double”, added Hat.
There was a nod as the barpony turned and disappeared behind his distillery. Hat and Firefly sat awkwardly together for a few moments before she finally broke the silence.
“So, why am I here?” She gave him a serious look. Something Hat said or did must have given her the impression that this was more than a social call.
“’Cause maybe I like a little company once in a while?” he attempted, but the unconvinced expression on her face told he'd better try harder.
Okay… Guess that didn't work.
He looked at her and wondered how best to approach something as outlandish as what may as well be a fire breathing dragon. He was given some time by the arrival of their drinks. Taking a sip, he watched her do the same before finally working out the right words.
“So, I was watching the show… well Rainbow Dash, and I was wondering if you may have seen anything out of the ordinary.” He placed his glass on the bar.
“Besides the sonic rainboom?” she took another sip. “That’s not something you see every day.”
She was being facetious and it annoyed him a little.
“Look, at first I called you up because I wanted to know if you had seen anything, too. Judging by your tone I knew everything was fine your end.” Hat paused to watch her expression before continuing. “But I saw something. Something that scared the hell out of me. During Rainbow Dash’s rainboom I saw something in the shadows of the upper east stadiums.”
“The ‘shadows’?” She seemed intrigued by the word. “Hat, it was a bright, sunny day. Anything hiding in the shadows wouldn't be too hard to spot. Not unless it was dark out.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m tryna’ to tell you,” Hat held up a hoof. “Unusually dark shadows that were exposed by the bright light following her rainboom. In those shadows I saw something else. A large black alicorn. It was watching her.”
Firefly looked at him curiously. “An alicorn? As in two wings and a horn, alicorn?”
“Yeah. Tell me I’m crazy. I know. But I saw what I saw and it was pretty darn distinctive too.” He took a large gulp of his drink.
Firefly looked at his glass then back at him.
Hat noticed it and put two and two together. “You think it’s the drinking, don’t you? You think I’m just making this shit up?”
“I didn’t say anything,” her expression remained calm. “And maybe you could give me a chance to respond without jumping on my tail.”
“Sorry.” Hat shook his head feeling ashamed.
“You’re being defensive.” She turned her drink in her hooves, considering her next words carefully. “What exactly did it look like?”
“Big. I mean like really big. It must have been at least twice the size of Celestia.” Hat scoured his mind for more details. “Its horn was shaped almost like a blade, bent weirdly. It had bright, glowing, green eyes and a massive wingspan.”
Firefly bit her lip and then took another sip of her drink. “Well’, she began. “I don’t know what to say. I didn’t see it. But something as distinctive as that sounds like it needs to be looked into. My advice? Talk to the director.”
“And how will that make me sound any less crazy?” Hat asked in protest
“You say you saw something and I believe you.” She leaned over and placed her hoof on his.
Something in her touch felt reassuring. He felt a sense of warmth rush through his body and he found himself gazing into her eyes. “Okay,” he finally said. “I’ll talk to him. But I seriously doubt he’s gonna do anything.”
“Well think about it, Hat,” she lifted her hoof. “What can he do? All we have to work on right now is a visual. At least he’ll be alerted to it.”
Hat sat quietly thinking about what she had just said and it made sense. Reporting oddities up the chain of command was the procedure anyway. He guessed that the sheer insanity of what he saw would have made him seem unhinged if he had called the director immediately. Maybe the mere idea of him thinking that way at all was a sign that he was going in that direction.
“Why so silent all of a sudden?” Firefly had leaned forwards and was looking intently at him.
“Sometimes I just wonder why I was chosen for such a demanding post.” He looked back at Firefly, those green eyes of hers bearing into his soul. “Why it was that I would be suitable for such a position after all that had happened.”
It was true that Hat Trick was a capable and talented agent. He was handpicked by the director himself to serve as a Protector. But this was months after he lost his family. The psychological fall back should have null and voided his candidacy.
“I think the director believed that after everything you had lost, focusing on somepony to look out for may have been good for you.” It seemed as if Firefly wasn't quite sure she herself believed what she had said. Yet it somehow made sense. In a strange and unprecedented way.
Hat’s work had become his life. Rainbow Dash’s life was all that had mattered to him, keeping her safe and following her every move had become his crutch. He may have even become slightly obsessed with the mare.
“Besides, she’s pretty damn sexy,” as if Firefly was reading his mind. “I’m stuck with a boring little bookworm who gets her undies in a twist every time she can’t get more than ten hours of studying in every day. I mean, really… is there some massive life exam that Princess Celestia has set up for her when she reaches a certain age?”
Hat chuckled at this and he raised a glass to Firefly. “Wait a minute… You think Rainbow Dash is sexy?”
“I know you do, agent,” she said with a grin. “I saw the way you’re eyes went all hazy when I mentioned her name.”
“That is just unprofessional and slanderous, agent Firefly,” he retorted with a pretend shocked look. “I resent such implications.”
“Ohhh big words, huh?” she said, finishing her drink. “You trying to impress me, now?”
Hat’s smile faded and he quickly realized he had fallen into her trap. Firefly was always good with the classic misdirection tactic. Something inside him wondered if that’s why she had come tonight in the first place. To case whether he still had any feelings for her.
“Well does it?” he replied with a smile. Let her show her hoof first.
“It was a long time ago, Hat,” she responded. “Neither of us really thought it through and we ended up parting on rather tense terms.”
It was a strangely direct reply. He had never quite considered that the last time they truly spoke it was about them taking the next step in their relationship. It was Hat who backed out in the end. Still wrapped up in his loss and not as in tune with what she wanted out of the relationship. What it was that the beautiful mare in front of him had seen in him to take that next step.
Somewhere along the lines, Hat had lost sight of how important he must have been to her. That maybe she had been carrying it around for so long that coming here tonight was her way of getting some kind of closure. Then again, she had come dressed for the occasion. So instead of making sense of the situation it simply confused him more.
“I think you may be right,” he finally said. “However, I never really gave it much thought.”
“Oh…” she looked a bit stung. Crap.
“I mean… ugh… I dunno what I mean, darlin’. I’m not one for flattery.”
She smiled again, although it seemed to be more forced than the others. “It’s getting late, Hat. I should probably get going soon.” She motioned to the barpony for the check.
Well that was a mood kill, he thought to himself, nice work Hat. Real smooth.
“Fly, let me,” he said. “I invited you here and I was late so, let me get it. Besides, I may be here for a while anyway.”
“Drinking alone, now?” She gave him a stern look. “Well, thanks then. It was nice seeing you again.”
“Same. And we should do this again, I mean…” he stammered.
“Oh. Oh yeah, no, we should, it’s been far too long.” She climbed off her stool while Hat did so too out of courtesy. “Well… bye then.”
She looked at him for a moment before lightly pecking him on the lips and walking off. Hat touched a hoof to them as he watched her walk out the door and into the night. Mares. Tell you one thing but do the opposite. He sat back down, finished his drink and called for a second.
At least she didn’t look at him as if he was crazy. The whole black alicorn thing warranted it. Then again, she could have just been humoring him. However, it felt good getting that off his chest, among a few other things. But Hat couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't been totally honest with him. Something in her eyes told him she was holding something back.
***
The following morning was just as sunny and cloudless as the day before and the heat was beginning to get to Hat. It was the sun falling on his face through the window that woke him. His head had hurt enough from his liberal attitude towards alcohol the night before and the dryness in the air wasn’t helping.
Pulling himself from bed, Hat winced as feeling started coming back to his left wing. Somehow he had managed to sleep on it awkwardly. The odd feeling of pins and needles started to flare up as blood began to circulate again. Goddess, he hated that. He slouched towards the bathroom and placed his head in the sink, turning on the cold faucet and letting the water just wash over him.
He tried to recall what happened last night. It started with Firefly then continued on with him sitting and drinking alone, listening to jazz and feeling sorry for himself. That was just another thing he hated about what he did. The full blown knowledge of the stupid things he was doing but the unwillingness to do anything about it. Maybe he thought he didn’t deserve to pick himself up and move on with his life. Maybe punishing himself like this was penance for what he did 5 years ago.
He lifted his head back up and observed his reflection in the mirror. The face that looked back was matted, tired looking and wet. He chuckled and scrunched his muzzle. Sometimes a little light humour made the day better.
It was time to call the director and make his insanity known and maybe, if he was lucky, he could keep the apartment as memoir once he was asked to turn his badge in.
Drying himself off he stepped back into his bedroom and dug around for his overcoat that was lying in a heap on the floor. “ahh…” he flopped down next to it and reached a hoof into one of the pockets for his magic communicator. “Come on you little… yeah… there you are.”
Hat pulled the small orb out of his pocket and headed out into the lounge. Putting it on his coffee table, he placed a hoof to his chin. He had better choose his words carefully.
“Ping the office of the director,” he said, now beginning to pace.
The orb turned white and remained so for a few seconds before the cool voice of a mare answered.
“Office of the director, Dahlia speaking.”
“Agent Hat Trick. Assignment 2208. Quarterly report for the director,” Hat said in a businesslike manner.
“Your report is three weeks early, agent,” Dahlia replied.
“Something came up. I’ll need to do it now.”
There was a pause on the line, then. “One moment, please”
The orb turned white again as the magical connection changed over to the director’s personal communicator. Finally it turned green and the deep yet crisp voice of the director answered.
“Agent Hat Trick, I wasn't expecting to hear from you for another 3 weeks. Is there a reason as to why you’re breaking protocol?”
“Yes, sir,” Hat began. “Rainbow Dash has remained under good security parameters and so far everything remains stable. Well, where her personal security is concerned, I reckon. I do think that, with your permission, I should keep a closer eye on her.”
“Very well, agent,” said the Director. “If you believe you need to get closer then by all means. I do, however, warn you not to get too close.”
“Understood, sir.” Hat bit his lip. "Umm..." The thought of cutting to the chase seemed so much easier when he wasn't speaking directly to his boss.
“I’m a busy pony, agent. Is there something else you wanted to tell me? Breaking protocol on a whim is not your style.” The director was starting to sound impatient.
“Sir…” Hat lifted a hoof and closed his eyes. Let’s just get this over with, he thought.
Hat recounted the events of the day as they happened. His meeting with Firefly, his seat number, the precise moment at which he saw what he saw. He found himself concerned at the silence on the other end but the orb remained green so he continued on. When he finally reached the end, Hat stopped pacing and turned to his orb. He watched it intently as the silence continued.
“A black alicorn.” The tone in the director’s voice had not changed but something about the way he said it seemed more of a statement than a query. As if he was considering the term more than trying to clarify it. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, agent. I must ask that you keep this information to yourself. We don’t want to start a panic over rumors.”
Hat blinked at how candidly the director was treating the news but recovered quickly and replied with a sigh of relief. “Sir, agent Firefly also knows. I had to meet with her last night to exchange information. I had to figure whether or not she had seen the same thing I had.”
“And did she?”
“No, sir,” Hat wished he had at least some form of backup. “I believe I’m the only pony that was there who saw anything.”
“Good. I’ll speak to our archivists and see if anything comes up.” He was reviewing the situation and taking this seriously. Hat felt stupid about thinking that the director would pass him off as a lunatic. He had never given him any reason to do so. “In the meantime, I would ask that you maintain closer proximity to your charge. You say it was watching her, I believe she may be in danger. On that note, I’ll also be sure to ask the other five Protectors to do the same. So far we don’t know anything and this is the best I can do. Good job, agent.”
The orb turned white then clear as the director cut his connection. Hat felt relieved, picking up the orb and taking it back to his office. Today’s first order was to get cleaned up and head straight to Canterlot library. It was nearly 10am and Dash was always there reading her Daring Do book round about lunch time.
***
Director Black Hooves stared at his magical communicator with his hoof on his chin. Visual confirmation. There was no denying it. He knew one of these days something would come up again. That the report five years ago was no isolated incident.
He placed a hoof on his intercom. “Dahlia. No one is to disturb me for the rest of the morning.”
"But sir, you have your weekly briefing with the Deputy Director in five minutes," Dahlia replied.
"Satin Grey can wait another day," he said back. "Have my files sent to her if she has to see them."
Without waiting for a response, he pulled open his draw and picked up the ancient codex still stored there. He rummaged through a now higher collection of earmarked pages before landing on one page in particular.
The page had an old depiction of a giant alicorn with a bladed horn and fearsome eyes staring up at him. At the bottom of the page was the title “The Ancient”. So it was true. It did exist. He was sure only a handful of ponies had any knowledge of this book and its contents and even fewer had even known who it's author was. Least of them being one of his field agents.
The director shut the book and gazed at the title. “The Annals of Time”.
It was time he had a chat with the Princess.
Chapter Three: Under The Veil
The 10am train arrived on schedule at the Canterlot station. Its commuters all sitting patiently with their belongings at the ready as the train made its final approach for the platform.
Coming to a halt with a hiss, the doors slid open and everypony began to filter out of the cars and towards the station exits. Some had been greeted by friends and loved ones while others simply made their way alone to the busy streets of Canterlot’s financial district.
Nopony had paid heed to a young filly almost nearing the age of attaining her cutiemark sitting nervously near the back of one of the cars. She was plain white with an electric blue mane with dark purple streaks and bright violet eyes. She had never been to Canterlot before and now that she came to think of it, she had never even been to any of the major cities.
All she had to her name was a small saddle slung over her back containing nothing more than a few trinkets from her past life.
This was it. She had reached the end of the line and the only thing that mattered to her was finding the pony she knew would lead her in the right direction. Whoever that was.
The last of the car’s commuters had now trotted out, leaving the filly rooted to her seat with her tail in her hooves. She stared out of the window wondering how she was going to do what she came here to do. All she had as assurance was a small piece of paper sealed in an envelope that she was instructed not to read. She only knew that it needed to be given to a guard outside the palace.
“Excuse me, miss,” said a quiet and nervous voice from behind her, making her jump. “Oh… I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just… You’re all alone and I thought I’d ask if everything was okay.”
A bright yellow pegasus stood behind her with a pink mane and the cutiemark of three butterflies on her flank. She had a concerned look on her face yet seemed as if she was on the brink of having a nervous breakdown herself.
The filly stared up at the pegasus with a worried look. “Um, yes… I’m fine. I thought I was the last one left.”
“Oh… I prefer to wait for everypony to leave before getting off myself. It’s less crowded and safer for Angel.” The filly looked at a small cage strapped to her side. Inside was a little white rabbit with a dour expression on its face. “He’s been a bit under the weather. I thought maybe taking him with me to Canterlot would cheer him up a bit.”
“Oh… okay, well. Thank you for asking, but I’m fine.” The filly smiled.
“Again, so sorry I scared you.” The pegasus turned to leave and trotted a few paces a head of the filly. “Come, Angel, we can’t be late for our visit to the palace.”
The filly looked up at the pegasus again. “Wait. Did you say you’re going to the palace?”
“Yes… I’m visiting my good friend there.” She turned to look back at the filly, smiling weakly.
“Oh, well. I need to see somepony there and, well. I have no idea how to even get there.”
“Why don’t you come with me?” the pegasus offered tentatively. “I can show you the way if you like?”
“Yes! Please!” The filly stood up and trotted over to the pegasus. “Um, what’s your name?”
“Fluttershy,” she said, watching the filly trot past her outside of the train car. “And you?”
“Veil,” replied the filly. “Misty Veil.”
“That’s a lovely name,” said Fluttershy, following her out of the car and trotting beside her down the platform.
“Thanks!” Veil was feeling a little more comfortable now that she had somepony to guide her to the most influential building in Equestria.
With Fluttershy beside her, Veil stepped outside of the station and into the heart of the financial district. No amount of detailed descriptions could have prepared her for just how lively the city was.
Dozens of ponies trotted in and out of the buildings that towered over her. The crowds on the lavishly decorated pavement and the number of pony drawn chariots in the streets seemed almost alien to her. There was something about the type of pony here that seemed distinctly upper crust in comparison to anywhere else she had been. These ponies seemed to walk with a sense of entitlement. Most of them quite literally had their noses in the air as they trotted past.
“It’s a very big and sometimes scary place,” said Fluttershy, noticing the stunned look on Veils face. “I prefer the gardens of the Canterlot palace. It’s quieter.”
Fluttershy lead Veil down the pavement towards the ever visible palace in the distance. The rabbit on her side began to draw attention from ponies that they passed causing the yellow pegasus to become more insecure about standing out more than she’d liked to.
“Are you okay?” Veil asked, noticing her companion’s uncomfortable demeanor.
“Oh… I’ll be okay. Not everypony loves animals as much as me. I’ll be happier once we get to the palace.” Fluttershy forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and began to quicken her trot. “Really, though. I wish I had been able to come sooner so I could see Rainbow Dash’s performance yesterday. But poor Angel needed my attention.”
“Oh.”
Veil’s eyes drifted to her surroundings and Fluttershy’s tiny voice began to filter away. There were so many things here in this city that Veil had never even heard of let alone seen. Mane salons, fashion boutiques and trendy restaurants offering a wide variety on their menus were things she had never thought necessary. Yet, seeing it all in real life made it all seem so tempting to explore further none the less. Fluttershy, however, was paying more attention to her rabbit than anything else and ended up bumping into a vendor selling various perfumes. This caused her to give a tiny yelp and knock a few of the vendor’s inventory off the counter top.
“Oh Celestia have mercy, girl!” The vendor cried angrily. “Look at the mess you've made! Who is going to pay for this?”
Fluttershy spent the next ten minutes apologizing profusely to the point where the vendor was no longer interested in anything but wanting her to just leave due to her rabbit “scaring off the customers.”
Veil found the whole fuss about the rabbit to be unwarranted since Angel had hardly moved in his cage. Fluttershy stepped back almost tearfully and began to trot briskly away causing Veil to have to canter after her to keep up.
“Hey… Slow it down.” Veil finally caught up with her, “are all ponies in the city this mean?”
“Oh… They can be. I just wish I wasn't so clumsy sometimes.” Fluttershy wiped her hoof across her face. “I shouldn’t let it get me. Rainbow Dash always says I should be a little more assertive but… I hate fighting.”
Veil regarded her new companion curiously. Fluttershy was a mixture of emotions, a strange pony with a strange outlook on life. Yet despite all this, Veil really liked her. She was nice and kind to her. A pony she felt that she could trust.
“Should we get going?” Veil asked, pointing towards the castle.
“Oh… Yes, of course. I’m so, so late as it is…”
The pair spent the remainder of their journey to the castle in complete silence. Not out of lack of anything to say but purely out of mutual respect for each other’s preference for silence. A lot can be said without having to say anything at all. Veil enjoyed Fluttershy’s company because in many ways she was like her, misunderstood and looked down upon. But in her eyes she saw a certain unbeatable strength masked by a genuine kindness.
The gates to the palace came into view and Veil became more and more nervous with each step she took. Her task was simple; hand the envelope to a guard and wait. But wait for what? She was placing her life in the hands of an unknown party and it was becoming daunting.
The two guards flanked a gate that bore the insignia of Celestia and Luna encircled together around the sun and the moon. Both wore gold lined helms, gilded armor and held lances that stood twice their size. Although at first they tensed up at the two ponies heading towards them, they relaxed as soon as they recognized Fluttershy.
“Good day to you, Fluttershy,” one of them greeted. “Princess Twilight Sparkle has been expecting you. We were given orders to let you pass and ask that you meet with her in the palace library.”
Fluttershy hesitantly stepped closer to the guards, still a little shell shocked by her encounter with the street vendor. “Um… thank you,” she murmured. “But, you see, I have a friend with me who really needs to see somepony in the castle. Could you please let her through, too?”
“Unfortunately not, miss,” said one of the guards.
Fluttershy seemed to harden at this, showing a little bit of that strength Veil had seen in her eyes.
“I can’t leave her out here,” she said, Veil noted it was the first time she heard the pony speak with more audibility than a whisper. “She’s come all the way from… from…”
“Fluttershy, Its okay. I don’t really know who I’m supposed to meet.” Veil reached into her saddle bag, produced the envelope and passed it to one of the guards. “I was told to give this letter to a royal guard. That’s all I know.”
“Told by who?” asked one of the guards.
“I… I was told not to say.” Veil shifted awkwardly, “please, just read it.”
The guard used his magic to open the sealed envelope and extracted a single piece of parchment. He studied its contents, frequently looking at Veil with suspicion before finally placing the parchment back in the envelope and floating it back to her.
“Miss Fluttershy,” said the guard, turning his head to her. “Please proceed to the library.”
Fluttershy, however, remained fixed where she stood. “Will Veil be allowed to enter?”
The guards looked at each other then back to Veil. She felt herself holding her breath, waiting for the right response. She had no way of knowing what these two were thinking and she had a feeling that if it weren't for Fluttershy, she would probably be on her way back to the train station.
“The letter says we are to escort her to Her Royal Majesty, Princess Luna,” the guard informed them. “I will send for an envoy to see you to her.”
The news struck Veil as rather odd. Yet considering who gave her the message to deliver, it kind of made sense. Besides, the pony who sent her here was of high standing. It stood to reason that the contact he sent her to meet was also one of high standing, if not higher. But somepony as high up as the Princess herself made Veil feel more nervous than ever.
Fluttershy seemed to know what Veil was thinking and smiled at her kindly. “The Princess is nice. She’ll take care of you, I promise. Do you want me to wait with you?”
“No. I’ll be okay,” veil replied, although not entirely sure she meant it.
“Okay… Farewell, Misty Veil.” Fluttershy turned and trotted with one of the guards through the gates and up the cobblestone path towards the main entrance.
Veil planted herself on the ground and waited under the gaze of the remaining guard. Princess Luna, formerly known as Nightmare Moon. The name struck fear into the hearts of almost everypony in Equestria, even as far away as where Veil was from. For a thousand years she was imprisoned in the moon. A thousand years she spent encased in its celestial form and slowly going mad as the eons passed. Now everypony had to bow to her once more and, according to the Princess Celestia, she was once again pure of heart. Veil found the prospect of meeting with such an infamous goddess to be more worrisome than being sent away by the guards. It was a hurdle she was willing to face, none the less. She had come this far.
“Your envoy is here,” said the remaining guard, pointing towards a pony trotting briskly down the path to the gates.
Veil stood and readied herself, taking a deep breath as she watched a chestnut stallion with a white mane and a pair of spectacles hanging loosely of his muzzle trot to the guard.
“I am told she is the one,” he said to the guard, motioning to Veil. “Are you sure the missive was authentic?”
“It was, sir.”
“Good. Your companion will return soon.” He turned his attention to Veil, “come. The Princess is waiting.”
Veil stepped up and was guided through the gates by the envoy. She felt her hooves touch the ornate cobblestone path that was flanked by perfectly manicured hedges and up towards the main entrance of the palace. The double oak doors opened by themselves as she and her guide stepped into the main entrance.
The palace foyer was truly a sight to behold. A giant carpet of gold and burgundy lead towards a grand staircase that headed towards the doors to the throne room and two hallways leading left and right. The bohemian room was lavishly decorated with white marble pillars, priceless vases and marvelous life sized paintings of the Royal court and its Princesses. The feeling that one stood in the residence of two goddesses was in no way underplayed.
“This way, please,” the envoy said shortly, guiding veil up the stairs towards the throne room.
“Are we going in there?” Veil inclined her head towards the double doors at the landing.
“We are going to Her Royal Majesty’s private quarters. If you please.” He steered her to the left side hallway once they reached the top of the stairs.
She was now following her rather serious guide down a narrow hallway decorated with high rising windows stained with almost mosaic like murals. The light from them cast a multitude of colorful glares onto the floor, making the hallway feel as magical as it looked. Some of the windows bore images of the Princesses, others of Cadence and her Prince, Shining Armor. Then Veil passed a window that bore the unmistakable image of the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony.
Veil had never known their names, but she knew they were somehow special and that they were key to maintaining the harmony of Equestria. She stopped and took a closer look. They were all so majestically depicted. They were- wait, was that Fluttershy? Veil inched closer, recognizing the bright yellow pegasus with the pink mane and her distinctive cutiemark. The detail was impeccable. She was one of them. And Veil had unknowingly walked beside her. Truly such ponies were as noble as this scene projected, for as Fluttershy was said to be the bearer of The Element of Kindness, so too had she reflected it in her nature.
Veil smiled.
“Miss? We need to keep moving.” The envoy had waited enough and was starting to look impatient.
“Sorry, I…” Veil followed suit, passing the last image of a dragon like creature with mismatched arms and legs. Something about this particular monster had struck fear into Veil.
They continued on towards a spiraling staircase that most likely lead towards Princess Luna’s chambers. The hike up these oddly elongated stairs lead them down a narrow hallway to a heavyset door with a darkened symbol of the moon embedded in the center. The door was guarded by two more guards that stood aside when the envoy approached. Veil took a deep breath as the doors slowly opened, allowing her to stand over the threshold.
Luna’s quarters were circular in shape and splendid to behold. A stone fireplace was alight opposite the entrance, casting the room into a warm glow. The windows were covered with large satin curtains that were shut tightly, blocking the sunlight from shining on the teak wooden floors and a giant, king sized, four poster bed sat on a raised dais in the middle of the room. The ceiling above was adorned with the most intricate mosaic of the night sky, the moon and the stars encrusted with what appeared to be real crystals . Veil could only imagine at how beautiful it would look if the curtains weren't drawn closed.
And there she was, the Princess of the moon, sitting by the fire with her back to Veil. She was taller than any pony Veil had met, her mane, that usually flowed ethereally, lay flat down her neck. Veil found her eyes drifting towards her flank and her cutiemark. The dark emblem of the moon made her feel uneasy.
“Your Royal Majesty, may I present the young Misty Veil,” said the envoy.
The Princess turned her head to the side. From the first time Veil laid eyes on her face, she would never forget just how beautiful Luna was. She found herself at odds all of a sudden. Something in Luna’s turquoise eyes made her feel safe and secure.
“Thank you, Silver Star. You may leave Us.” The Princess’ voice flowed eerily.
The envoy bowed his head so low it almost touched the floor and backed out, closing the door behind him.
Alone now, Veil stood still, watching the Princess. Luna turned slightly to survey the filly with a an oddly perplexed look on her face. The crackling fire was all she heard for over a minute before Luna finally spoke.
“Misty Veil, your presence is most welcome here, child.”
“I…” Veil couldn't seem to find the right words to address a monarch of her stature.
Luna smiled. “We trust you understand, to some degree, that who you would be meeting with was kept secret from you?” She slowly stepped towards Veil. “You are very, very important to Us, child. We see into your eyes and see the pain that you have suffered.”
Veil remained quiet.
“The Director Black Hooves is one of Our sister’s closest advisers,” Luna continued. “When it was revealed to Us what had happened to your… Family, that you were the sole survivor, We were approached by him to give you sanctuary. And here We shall grant you your Canterlot citizenship.”
“I don’t… I don’t understand,” Veil stammered.
Luna was now face to face with Veil, gazing at her with slight concern.
“What is there to understand? You are safe now.”
Veil looked up into those piercing eyes. Citizenship? The pony who had given her the letter was indeed Black Hooves, well not him personally but who else would have had such influence?
For years after Veil’s whole family was mutilated by that… monster, she had been kept in some cold facility. Unable to leave and kept from even seeing day light. The only pony she had any contact with was that dark coated stallion. At first she resented him for holding her prisoner, then she grew to trust and love him. He was the only contact she ever had with anypony. Then 3 months ago she was released to a secure location in Appleoosa. It was dead, quiet and Black Hooves had left her there with a family willing to look after her. The catch was that she would have to disguise herself. Black Hooves didn’t want anypony to know where she was from or where she had spent her last few years. No matter how much she fought against it or how unwilling she was, it was already decided. She was now a filly nearing her adolescence in a town she hardly understood. Black Hooves constantly said that nopony knew her like he did and that he would visit her weekly. But he never came and Veil lost all faith in him entirely. Then late last night a pony showed up at her new home and demanded that Veil come with him. She didn’t recognize this pony but she knew straight away that Black Hooves had sent him. Because of this, she didn’t like this pony. He gave her the letter, marched her to the train station and instructed her to come to the palace.
“I don’t understand why I’m so important… Why anypony would bother with… some p-pony like me.” Veil felt as if she should have held her tongue, “sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean to question you.”
Luna regarded Veil and chose her words carefully. “It is in our very nature to question the unknown, child. We do not begrudge you your question, but We ask that you simply trust in Our wisdom.”
Veil was unsure of whether or not this answer was just Luna’s usual cryptic way of speaking or whether she was simply refusing to tell her the truth at all. Either way, Veil knew not to push the subject.
“Okay, I’m now a citizen of Canterlot. But I have no home or money or… or anything.”
A smile appeared on Luna’s face. “We have thought of this and We know of a pony who is willing to take you in and look after you.”
Once again Veil found herself being carted from one ‘guardian’ to the next, nopony truly forthcoming about anything. “I don’t know Canterlot very well, where would I find this pony?” Asked Veil.
“Our envoy will escort you to her home,” Luna said, inclining her head towards the door. “She will be expecting you. And We must ask that you do everything she tells you.”
“I- I’m… grateful Your Majesty,” Veil finally said. “For everything.”
Luna nodded her head in acknowledgement and turned around towards the fire. Veil watched her and finally decided it may be safe to ask just one more pressing question.
“Your Majesty?” She asked tentatively.
Luna turned her head to the side. “Yes, child?”
“Why did you want to see me? Why didn’t I simply go straight to this other Pony?” Veil asked as delicately as possible.
“We needed to see you with Our own eyes,” Luna answered tersely. “To know you were truly… You.”
“Wh-”
“And We would ask you, Misty Veil,” Luna cut across her. “That when you are away from your guardian that you remain… Hidden.” Luna inclined her head towards the door, a clear sign that the conversation had ended. Veil decided that it would be appropriate to bow quietly as the door opened and the envoy came back in.
“Your Royal Majesty,” he said, bowing to her as well. “Shall I take her now?”
“Yes. We are done now,” Luna replied, moving back towards her fireplace. “It would be best that she reaches Miss Firefly as quickly as possible.”
***
It was around midday when Hat arrived at the Canterlot Library. Although he had never bothered going inside it he probably knew the buildings layout better than its own staff. This was because every Sunday, without fail, Rainbow Dash would be here. He never quite knew why a pony such as her would come to visit a place so unbecoming of her almost jock like nature. Perhaps it was a form of escapism for her or maybe it was the last place anypony would expect to find her, allowing her peace and quiet from her adoring fans. Whatever it was, she had been coming here for over a year now.
Obviously, he knew of her fascination with the Daring Do adventure books but to his knowledge she had already read them all. Even if she reread them over and over, there was no reason why she wouldn't have her own copies at home anyway.
Hat trotted into the lobby, smiled at the librarian and headed towards the building’s main athenaeum. The library was empty except for a small group of students at a table to the back and a staff member alphabetizing the history section. Rainbow Dash wasn’t here yet. Hat found himself a rather old book on the history of pony family trees and sat himself down by a table with a clear view of the entrance. He opened the book and scanned the words, his mind fully focused on other things.
Fifteen minutes had passed and no Rainbow Dash. Hat noted that some of the students had packed up and left and also noted the arrival of a rather large unicorn with a jet black coat. Hat watched as the unicorn silently made his way towards the history section and disappeared behind one of the aisles.
Finally, the cyan coloured pegasus arrived in the lobby and strutted her way towards the librarian at the front, greeting her with a wide smile. She must have said something funny because the librarian began to laugh rather loudly before catching herself and blushing. This seemed to make Dash giggle before she turned and headed into the athenaeum and towards the fiction section. Hat watched her and began to lose focus as he unwittingly began to fantasize about her. She brimmed with confidence and sex appeal. She was simply an extraordinary pony and he would be the first to tell anypony this. Hat had to shake himself out of his own thoughts so he could watch her objectively.
The black unicorn poked out of the aisle he was in and began to make his way towards the fiction section. Hat immediately began to analyse him. He was large, unusually large now that Hat was paying more attention. His muscles began to tense up as the unicorn moved closer and closer to Dash’s aisle. Could he just be another fan? The unicorn had now entered her aisle and was out of his view.
Hat knew not to get involved unless the unicorn meant her any direct harm but his curiosity got the better of him. Closing his book, he stood up and silently made his way towards her aisle, listening for anything that may require his direct attention. However, the voices he heard were rather excited, even playful. Hat stopped himself and decided to head down the adjacent aisle. Finding a place where he thought they would be, he lent closer and began to listen.
“You’re late,” said the deep voice of whom Hat assumed was the large unicorn. “I almost thought you weren't going to come.”
“Aww, c’mon… It was ten minutes!” said the sassy voice of Rainbow Dash. “You’re just being too time sensitive.”
“You decided on the place. It had to be private and it had to be believable. I guess that makes you too place specific,” the unicorn chided her playfully. “Besides, I was hoping for the place to be more… private?”
Hat inched closer, poking his muzzle into the book case to try and get a clear view of them.
“You’re being dramatic,” said Dash, placing a hoof on his chest. “I come here every Sunday so I thought it would work perfectly. I’m sure nopony even noticed you come in here. See how empty it is?”
“I realize this,” the unicorn said in a hushed voice as he inched closer to Dash. “But, being in public is not something I’m… accustomed to.”
“You’re doing fine!” Dash grinned up at him cheekily. “Did ya see me yesterday? Wasn't I just awesome?!”
The unicorn grinned back at her. “What makes you think I would miss something as important as that?”
“’Cause I’m a big unicorn that’s scared of public places!” Dash replied in a mock tone trying to imitate his voice.
Hat stifled a chuckle. She was so cute.
No! Stop thinking these thoughts. He shut his eyes and tried to remain focused. Obviously Dash knew this pony well enough to have had a standing relationship with him. But how did Hat miss this? He knew everything about her. How could he have overlooked a giant unicorn?
“Some things are worth the risk. You were stunning,” said unicorn, placing his hoof to her cheek. Hat felt a sudden urge to reach through the book case and strangle him.
Dash giggled slightly, closing her eyes and placing her hoof to his, holding it in place on her cheek. “I know it’s risky coming her, but I just needed to see you again. Aaannd maybe ask you to come back… home… with me?”
“I think… I could oblige.” He smiled and leaned in closer, touching his muzzle to hers and kissing her lightly. Hat had seen enough.
As silently as he had crept to the shelf, he made his way to the end of the aisle and back towards the table he was sitting at. There wasn't anything he could do. It wasn't the fact that Rainbow Dash was involved with another pony that bothered him. Okay, yes it did bother him. Not that it should have. It wasn't as if he was able to approach her. Even if he could, she was Rainbow Dash and he was a simple field agent. No future there. What really bothered him was the fact that this unicorn was so concerned about being in the public eye. Who was he really And why was it that Dash felt she had to keep her relationship with him a secret?
Hat spied the unicorn exiting the aisle alone and trotting towards the exit. Moments later, Dash came out too, carrying a book and heading towards the table Hat was sitting at. Hat quickly opened the book he had left on the table and buried his nose in it. Dash trotted past him and sat herself down at the table to his right, opening her Daring Do book and starting on the first chapter.
He closed his book and took a quick glance at her before standing up and putting the book back in the aisle he found it. It was time to leave. It may not be important but a giant black unicorn with a phobia for public places was somepony he would need to do a background check on. Then again, perhaps he was just being too paranoid after what he saw at the stadium yesterday. He needed a pony to bounce ideas off. He needed to see Firefly again.
***
Firefly’s loft was on the top floor of a smartly designed apartment building in the heart of Canterlot’s most affluent district. Just a few blocks from the palace, Firefly was never too far away from her charge, Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight had become far more involved in her royal duties and had found herself living once again in Canterlot on a more permanent level. Firefly had watched from afar how busy the princess had become, how she had seen less and less of her friends and how insular this had made her. Twilight hardly left the palace these days and although this made Firefly’s job easier, she couldn't help but become increasingly concerned about her charge’s well-being.
Firefly sat in her office going over the files she was sent earlier this morning. A young mare to take care of for an indefinite period of time would be a nice change from her insular life. But as she read through the files of this filly's rather interesting background, Firefly couldn't help but find the last minute notification from a boss who is usually very thorough and well organised to be rather concerning. Then again, how much preparation does one need to look after another pony? Just make up a bed and buy more groceries.
She was shaken from her thoughts by the sound of the doorbell. Well, at least they’re on time.
Stretching all four legs, Firefly stood from the chair she had been sitting in for the last 3 hours and trotted out her office and into to a sleek and modestly decorated living area. Her home was the complete opposite to Hat Trick’s. Where his apartment was small and badly looked after, hers was large and impeccable well kept.
Firefly arrived at her door and peered through the peephole. Seeing a pony she recognized, she opened the door and greeted him. “Hello, Silver Star,” she said warmly before lowering her eyes to a small pre-adolescent filly standing next to him. “And you must be Misty Veil?”
The filly nodded weakly.
“Good day to you, Firefly,” said the envoy, Silver Star. “As per the princess’ instruction I present to your charge.”
“I see that,” said Firefly, keeping her eyes fixed on the filly in front of her. “Thank you for bringing her here. You may go.”
Silver Star blinked in apparent shock of being dismissed so abruptly but bowed his head rather irritably and took his leave down the hallway towards the elevator.
“Now then,” Firefly began. “Why don’t you come inside?”
Veil nodded again and followed the dark yellow unicorn in to her apartment, viewing the surroundings with awe. “Am I… Going to live with you, now?” asked Veil, trying to sound casual.
“For the time being. It’s my job to keep you safe. Oh,” Firefly extended a hoof to veil. “I’m Firefly, by the way.”
She smiled at Veil as the little filly lightly shook her hoof then turned to the window to gaze at the palace. “I know everything there is to know about you, Veil. You don’t need to hide who you are from me. So no more silly questions or pretending to be who you’re not.”
“Then you know about… What I am?” Veil inquired nervously.
“Indeed.”
Firefly turned back around to face Veil but the filly that stood before her was now no more. Instead, she looked into the eyes of a skeletal and thin looking equine creature. It had a dark grey coloured exterior and a wispy pale green tale.
“Changelings aren't a welcome sight in this city,” said Veil, sadly. “Sometimes I enjoy just simply blending in.”
Firefly stared at the strangely small changeling, unable to speak.
Veil immediately regretted changing into her true form. “Do I… scare you?”
Firefly quickly recomposed herself. “It’s just that I've never seen one of you’re kind up close before.”
The changeling Veil shifted awkwardly and began to switch her form back into the body of the filly she previously inhabited. Firefly watched in awe as her color and fur began to lighten and her body began to bulk up once more. The filly reappeared in front of her, staring awkwardly at the floor.
“I’m sorry,” Veil stammered. “I don’t know why I did that.”
Firefly stepped closer to Veil and rested a hoof on her shoulder. “No, sweetie. I should be apologizing. I don’t mind if you maintain your true form around me… I’ll just need to get used to it.”
“In a way, this is my true form,” said Veil pensively, staring at her white hooves.
Firefly gazed at Veil for a moment before strolling past her and towards a black leather couch in her living room. She climbed on, sat herself down comfortably and motioned for Veil to come join her.
“When you say your true form,” began Firefly, watching as Veil slowly took a seat next to her. “You mean your pony form, don’t you?”
Veil quietly nodded. “I wasn't always a changeling.”
“No. You were once a pony like me, weren't you?” Firefly smiled. “You were a young filly, ravaged by a disease that almost killed you. But she saved you, didn’t she? She used her magic to breath live into your frail body. However, in exchange, she made you a changeling and one of her own children.”
Veil remained silent, unsure how to respond to this pony’s strange knowledge of her shrouded life. She had never told a soul about her past because, in truth, she knew nothing of her life before her transformation. She was a simple unicorn filly, saved by the grace of a changeling queen who took her in.
She would always be a filly, however. Not in mind but in body. That was the catch to her salvation, her stunted form would serve as a reminder of who she once was. And yet, it was her very size and origins that would prove to save her once again.
“My queen saved my life, I owed her everything,” Veil replied flatly.
Firefly sat silently for a while, wondering if now would be the best time to press the young filly further. They had only just met, after all, and coaxing such personal information of her queen’s demise wouldn't be prudent at this time.
“I’m glad you've been so candid with me, Veil,” said Firefly, climbing from the couch. “I didn’t mean to enter into such personal topics. I just want you to think of me as your friend and that you can come to me about anything.”
Firefly beckoned for Veil to follow her towards a room down the passage from the living room.
“Thank you for having me.” Veil murmured softly, unsure of how to respond to her appropriately.
Firefly magically open the door for veil, revealing a bedroom made ready for her. A comfy bed and a view of the mountain backdrop to the city of Canterlot greeted her.
“This is you, sweetie… and you’re quite welcome,” said Firefly. “I don’t usually have guests so a little bit of company is quite refreshing.”
Veil smiled up at her before trotting into the room and standing next to the bed.
“I’ll give you some time to get settled. I’ll have dinner ready by seven.” With that, Firefly closed the door and trotted away. Leaving Veil alone in her new room.
Veil finally unlatched her saddle bag and let it slump to the floor before flopping onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling. A wave of exhaustion swept over her as her mind drifted into her thoughts.
Firefly’s questions had brought back a few unpleasant memories. Veil missed her queen, her family of changelings. She recalled with a knot in her stomach how quickly they had all been stolen from her. She shut her eyes and tried to block out their screams and tormented faces as that monster came for them, systematically whipping them all out from existence.
And then she saw it. Those horrid green eyes and that blade shaped horn. It moved like water, violently cutting through her brothers and sisters with an unrelenting will to exterminate. Its massive form encroaching on her queen and ending her life with a slash of its green magic. And then, in an instant, it was gone. Ignoring Veil as if she hadn't even been in the same chamber as her queen. Veil turned over and gripped tightly on to one of the pillows. What was it the queen had called the monster? She recalled an evening when the queen had once warned them of some kind of forgotten evil stirring in Equestria. When Veil had questioned further she could only remember one phrase.
“Oh, we do not speak its name, my child,” the queen had warned. “We refer to it only as The Ancient.”
A tear streamed down her muzzle as she tried to find solace in the memory of her beloved queen. Her thoughts began to lighten as she found herself drifting into an uneasy sleep.
Chapter Four: Un-redacted
Veil awoke with a start, her surroundings seemed unfamiliar before her memory slowly adjusted between reality and dreams. She rubbed her eyes and stared out of the window. It was dark out accept for the moon shinning over the mountain side that greeted her first entrance into the city.
Finally her memory came back to her. She was in the home of yet another guardian, another pony who seemed no different from all the others that for some reason knew more about her than she did herself. Yet Firefly at least gave her some privacy rather than watch her like a hawk. Like those ponies in Appleoosa. The stigma of being a changeling had somehow ingrained a sense of prejudice in that family that Veil neither wanted nor cared for.
She climbed from her bed and made for the door. Her balance was off and she had to support herself on the side of the bedpost. She hadn't slept very well, her thoughts before drifting to sleep became her dreams. Rather her nightmares. Her pause in movement allowed her to hear voices on the other side of her door. One sounded like Firefly’s, the other was unfamiliar. They sounded rather tense. Veil silently opened her door and crept into the dark hallway, the only source of light was coming from the kitchen, the same place as the voices.
“So you were spying on her?” asked Firefly.
“It was only because Black Hooves asked me to pay closer attention to her daily routine,” replied the other voice, a stallion. “Besides, he at least seemed to take what I saw seriously. Not to mention the fact that spying on them is pretty much our job.”
Veil continued along the wall side, the sound of Black Hooves’ name being used had peeked her interest. The kitchen had come into view and she could see Firefly standing behind the bar, facing a white stallion who sat on one of the stools on the opposite side.
“I was the one who suggested you talk to him,” she said, looking annoyed. “If I didn’t take you seriously I would have laughed your flank out of that bar.”
The stallion hung his head slightly. “Sorry I… I guess I just had a shit day.”
“It’s okay, Hat,” she said, resting a hoof on his. “I know how seeing Dash with another stallion must feel.”
The stallion named Hat pulled his hoof away abruptly. Firefly lifted hers up and back on the ground, looking slightly hurt.
“This isn’t about jealousy! I was just shocked that I could miss something as important as a potential love interest.” He raised his head and looked straight at her, “and I don’t have feelings for Rainbow Dash!”
Firefly rolled her eyes. “Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself? I can see it written all over your face.”
“I…”
“Its psych 101. You spend as much time as you do watching another pony, especially one like her, and it’s bound to make you feel something for them. They become your life. Look what happened to Hiero. Not three months of acting as Rarity’s protector and Triage had to sit him down and talk sense into him before he stormed into her boutique and confessed his undying love.”
Hat remained quiet for a second before sneering slightly. “I never knew about that…”
Firefly didn't look amused. “Oh, so you find that funny? Mr. ‘I twitch violently every time I hear Rainbow Dash’s name’?”
Hat stopped grinning and sunk his head back down. “Okay fine. She’s stunning, and I care… deeply… for her.” He lifted his head back up, “twitch violently? Do I really do that?”
“No,” she replied with a grin. “But you’re not far off. I suppose I can give you one for self-restraint.”
“I reckon you can,” he whispered cheekily, giving her a naughty look.
“Hat,” she said, looking away “I…”
Veil shifted in the dark and caught the attention of Firefly’s waning gaze. “Oh…” she squeaked, staring at her in surprise. “Veil.”
Hat turned in his stool, looking at the pony in the dark then back to Firefly.
“H-hi…” stammered Veil, nervously.
Hat stared at Veil. “Who’s this?”
Firefly trotted past Hat, towards Veil and smiled. “I’m glad you’re awake. There’s somepony I’d like you to meet.”
Veil cautiously stepped out of the hallway and into the kitchen with Firefly as Hat sat in mute surrender, his face turning steadily cherry coloured.
“Oh dear sweet Celestia,” he moaned. “This isn't the moment where I’m introduced to… our daughter, is it?”
Firefly looked aghast as Veil stared up at her with a confused expression on her face.
“O-our?” she stuttered, becoming embarrassed. “Oh… No… dear merciful Luna, no. Hat. If we… If we had a daughter I would have told you so years ago. No… You stupid stallion. Besides. If we had a daughter she would be a lot younger than this little filly. No, this is Misty Veil. I’m looking after her for… well, Black Hooves.”
Veil waved her hoof awkwardly at Hat.
“Oh, thank… thank both goddesses,” he sighed, wiping his mane from his eyes. “I don’t know what I’d have done if you’d dropped that one on me.”
“I’d drop more than that on you, you ass,” she replied, her horn glowing slightly. “Get your mind out of the gutter for a second, you’re making a terrible first impression!”
“Sorry, Fly.” Hat climbed off the stool and raised a hoof to Veil. “Pleasure to meet you, miss.”
Veil shook his hoof lightly but said nothing. Firefly turned to the kitchen and busied herself with making a quick meal in an effort to recompose after Hat’s bombshell, leaving him and Veil standing awkwardly behind her.
“Soo…” he began, looking down at Veil. “You know Black Hooves?”
“Yes. I did,” she replied.
“You did?” he asked back.
“Yes. He used to look after me then he abandoned me.”
Her terse response left Hat feeling more awkward than he had felt in a long time. True, he was prying, and whatever business Black Hooves had with firefly concerning this filly quite frankly didn’t concern him. No, all he felt like doing right now was burying his head in the stove.
“Ahh… okay,” he replied, shifting his gaze to the ceiling. “He’s my boss.”
“He’s Firefly’s boss too.”
“Veil would you be a dear and close the curtains in the lounge for me?” Firefly asked abruptly.
“Okay.” Veil turned and trotted out of the kitchen, towards the living area and out of earshot.
“You’re looking after her for Black Hooves?” Hat asked, turning his gaze away from the filly as she left and back to Firefly. “Is she like an asset or something?”
“Something like that,” she replied quickly, but her thoughts were elsewhere. “Hat, what made you say something like that? Do you honestly believe I would keep something like a possible child between us a secret?”
“Since yesterday, I haven’t seen you in over three years,” he answered. “We live in the same city but avoided each other ever since… ever since… I just got a fright, okay?”
She began putting together a hay sandwich for Veil and an awkward silence fell upon them. Firefly used the time to consider her words. Finally, she put the sandwich on a plate and turned to face him.
“I am trying very hard not to think about those days,” she said, looking him dead in the eyes. “Not because I regret it, but because I don’t. Because for three years I've put off trying to say the things I wanted to say to you. I thought, maybe, you weren't ready. That loosing your family would have made it hard for you to be with me. Then you come in here and whine about your affections for Rainbow Dash and how sad it is that she has a lover. I could deal with that. I can even deal with your subtle flirtations but dropping a question like that, in front of Veil, makes me think that all I ever was, was a mistake to you.”
Hat dropped his jaw, completely taken aback by the sudden spill of her true feelings at such a weird time. But he wasn't about to give into this.
“I came here for advice,” he responded, coolly. “Not to whine. I don’t care who Rainbow Dash is bucking. I just didn’t understand how I could miss something like that. Yeah, I care for her, I may even want her. But it ain't realistic. I guess coming to you for help was a mistake.”
“You-“
“It’s getting late,” he cut across her. “I think I better get going.”
He turned on his hoof and trotted out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Firefly didn’t protest to this and remained quiet as she listened to him open and shut her door before dropping her face into her hooves.
“So stupid…” she moaned. “Why did I say that? Why?”
“Firefly?” the timid sound of Veil’s voice flowed into the kitchen. “Are you okay?”
Firefly stood herself up and took a breath. “Yes, Veil. I’m okay,” she smiled at her. “Come! I made you something to eat. You look famished.”
Veil trotted towards Firefly as she levitated the plate towards her.
“Would you like to sit with me while I eat?” Veil asked hopefully.
“Of course.”
The pair headed out of the kitchen and towards the lounge, the curtains now fully closed. Firefly climbed onto her couch and curled her tail around her forehooves staring at the curtains thoughtfully. Veil sat on the couch next to her and began to nibble on her sandwich, all of a sudden not feeling as hungry as she did a few moments ago.
“Why did he leave so quickly?” Veil asked curiously.
“Urgent matters,” Firefly replied.
Veil stopped eating and gazed at her. The unicorn looked so pretty curled on her couch, playing with her long white tail. She was lonely, Veil knew this, and it seemed that much of it had something to do with that pony called Hat. Come to think of it, he seemed like a very lonely pony too. He mentioned something about another pony called Rainbow Dash. Hadn't Fluttershy said she was her friend? Thinking of Fluttershy all of a sudden made Veil feel lonely too. Maybe, she thought, if she asked nicely she may get to see the yellow pegasus again.
“You said Hat ‘watches’ Rainbow Dash... Why?" Veil finally asked, breaking the silence.
“No idea,” Firefly lied. “I guess it’s a task the director gave him. We aren't supposed to talk about work.”
“Oh. Well, he seems sad,” Veil said, accepting Firefly’s story.
“Hat?” Firefly looked at Veil curiously. “What makes you say that?”
“Changelings can feel the emotions of other ponies,” Veil answered. “It helps them take on their form easier. For me it’s more difficult, I wasn't born a changeling. It’s more like just a feeling I get when I meet a pony.”
“Must be nice. You can almost tell who you can trust,” said Firefly.
“No. I thought I could trust Black Hooves,” said Veil sadly.
Firefly kept quiet at this. The idea of speaking about Black Hooves on a personal level seemed odd to her. She had never thought of the director as anything other than her boss. The words ‘compassion’ and ‘father figure’ weren't exactly phrases she associated with him. But somehow, for some reason and for some purpose he had nurtured a kind of connection with the pony beside her. Even though it all ended bitterly, he had put a lot of effort into her keeping her safe. Why?
“Hat lost his family,” she replied, steering the conversation away from the director. “Years before I met him. He had a wife and filly that were killed by intruders while he was away doing agency work. I don’t know the full story but considering it’s been over seven years since it happened, I’m surprised he’s managed to keep himself together for so long.”
“That’s horrible!” Veil could sympathize with him. “It doesn't ever go away. You dream about the ones you lose for the rest of your life.”
“I know,” said Firefly. “It’s why, no matter what he does, says or implies, I will never hold it against him. I love that pony with all my heart.”
“You love him?” Veil asked with interest. “Is that why he asked if I was his child? You two were… together?”
“We were once. We started working together in the field and we began to rely on each other. Soon it turned into love, for me anyway. But when things became too serious he stopped it dead in its tracks and we parted ways.” Firefly felt herself begin to tear up. “I only found out he had a family after he left me. Goddess, I was furious. But soon I began to understand. We met up a few times afterwards and decided to stay friends. Although that quickly turned into years of hardly talking at all.”
“And now he’s back?” Veil questioned. “Why?”
“We saw each other yesterday at the arena before the Wonderbolt show. I was there to… um… see the show, as was he, I guess.”
Firefly was coming awfully close to revealing her role as a protector. Perhaps it was because in all her years of watching Twilight she had never actually sat and spoken to somepony so openly before. The realization that in five years she hadn't spoken about anything other than formal work related topics shocked her.
“You just bumped into him?” Veil pushed further.
“Yeah... After that he called me up again.”
“What for?”
“Well, I probably shouldn't say this but, he swore he saw something in the crowds.” Firefly had lent closer to Veil as if she was about to spill the beans on some major gossip.
“What do you mean?” Veil asked, bending forward as well.
“Some sort of giant black alicorn caught his attention during Rainbow Dash’s sonic rainboom.”
“What?” Veil felt a shiver run down her spine. It couldn't be. Did Firefly just say what Veil thought she did? Nopony knew about what that creature looked like. Veil had never mentioned it. The mere thought of it lurking in Canterlot dissolved any form of security she felt here with Firefly.
“Sounds a bit crazy, doesn't it?” said Firefly.
“No,” Veil replied tensely. “What else did he tell you about it?”
Firefly studied Veils sudden change in behavior. Something was off, she had become tense in mere seconds of hearing about the alicorn. “Not much else,” she answered. “Veil, are you okay?”
Veil looked into Firefly’s eyes, biting her lip. “What if I told you that what Hat saw was real?”
“I would ask you why you would say that.” Firefly knew exactly where this was going.
“He saw what my queen described as The Ancient,” said Veil. “The very same monster that killed her, destroyed my hive and ignored me. The reason why I’m alive is probably because it sensed I wasn't truly a changeling.”
The sudden wave of honesty spilled from from Veil before she even knew what she was saying. For years she kept this quiet, not even uttering a word of it to Black Hooves. But now there was a sense of urgency. She felt panicked and the idea of just sitting here talking was making her restless. It was out for blood, it will kill again.
Firefly uncurled from her couch and moved towards her. “Are you absolutely certain of this, Veil?”
“Yes!” Why was Firefly even doubting her?
“Okay,” she began. “We need to think our next steps through. I will have to contact Black Hooves. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until morning.” She cut across Veil before she could object. “I realize this must be hard for you, but all we have to go on is something Hat saw that might be this… this ancient. We can’t act on anything until we have proof.”
“I… I suppose you’re right,” Veil murmured, with a resigned sigh. “But, promise me you won’t let what happened to me happen again.”
“I promise you, Veil. We will contain this situation,” answered Firefly, assuredly.
Firefly had no idea how wrong she would be.
***
Black Hooves hated pomp and splendor. The thought of traveling everywhere with an announcer crying your name to the masses and grand entrances was an outdated fashion, even for of a pony of his standing. To have the ear of Her Royal Majesty was to be somepony worthy of that sort of attention, however, and it became more of hindrance as time went by. Not to mention the fact that being a pony in his line of work required a certain level of discretion that most failed to understand or see. So once again he found his visit to the palace throne room heralded to all who would hear before he could even gaze up at the Princesses themselves.
“May I present to Her Royal Majesties, Sir Black Hooves; Royal Adviser to the court and Protector of National Security!”
Black Hooves smiled weakly as he stepped through the double oak doors and towards the throne. Like everywhere else in the palace, the throne room was a marvel to behold, if not more so. The pristine white marble pillars, the ostentatious designs of the white stone floor and the ever constant shimmer of sunlight that beamed delicately through the stained windows behind the throne cast an aura of regal, if not godlike, power.
Black Hooves let his gaze fall upon the two most powerful ponies in Equestria. Luna and Celestia. Celestia’s beauty was always breath tacking, her magically flowing multi-coloured mane and her broad and powerful wings always made Black Hooves feel small.
“Thank you,” Celestia began, with a smile. “Black Hooves, it’s an honor to finally see you back at court.”
Black Hooves bent both his forehooves and lowered his head into a bow. “The honor is always mine Your Majesties.”
“Please, my dear friend,” Celestia said, still beaming at him. “There is no need for such formalities among us.”
“As you wish.” Black Hooves stood back up and began to walk steadily towards the staircase leading to the throne. “I do not wish to impede on your affairs dear highnesses. But I come to seek a private audience with you, my Princess.” His gaze falling upon Celestia.
Throughout his trek to the throne, Luna remained silent. She surveyed him with an unreadable expression, at times glancing towards Celestia for a brief moment before resting her eyes upon him once again.Black Hooves knew that Luna and Celestia kept secrets from each other, it was only natural. It appeared Luna’s involvement with the changeling had gone completely unnoticed by her sister, he could see it in her eyes. It mattered little, his business was with Celestia, not her devious younger sibling.
“I would be happy to grant your request, dear Black Hooves,” Celestia replied. “Of course I would have to ask my sister to hold court during my absence.”
Gazing at Luna briefly, she descended the stairs and came to a halt in front of the director. “I always make time for my... Old friends.”
Luna silently obeyed her sister, her gaze still upon Black Hooves as they turned to exit the throne room through one of the side doors.
“I don’t presume to take much of your time, my Princess,” Black Hooves began as the door closed behind them and they entered a corridor leading towards the upper palace. “But something… something dire has caught my attention and I believed you would need to hear this.”
“Of course,” she replied, staring ahead of her. “Say no more. We shall speak when we reach my room.”
“I assume this is some secret passage?” inquired Black Hooves.
Celestia’s larger form seemed to move quite nimbly through the narrow hallway. A smile stretched across her muzzle. “Sometimes, I too wish to move around without being noticed by everypony.”
He remained silent at this. The Princess always had the uncanny ability of reading one’s mind. The pair continued to move silently through the passage, up a flight of spiral stairs and towards what seemed to be a conjunction of passages all leading in separate directions.
“It’s a network,” Black Hooves confirmed more than inquired. “I knew the palace had one, I had never expected it to be so…"
“So intricate?” Celestia offered, turning towards the passage on her right and leading him towards the far end. “Its ancient, this passage. Used long before teleportation spells were invented. Here.”
They arrived at a stone wall at the end of the passage that clearly seemed like a dead end. Celestia’s horn began to glow and the wall simply vanished revealing a side entrance into her quarters.
Like Luna’s, Celestia’s quarters were lavishly decorated. The same four poster bed raised on a dais, the same wooden teak flooring and even the same heavy curtains that hung weightily from the ceiling. Perhaps the only difference was the size of her room in comparison. It was larger, even brighter. Where Luna kept her room dark and ostracized from the world, Celestia’s was open and welcoming.
“I assumed you’re quarters would have been in one of the towers, your majesty,” Black Hooves noted, stepping past Celestia and viewing the surroundings.
“Sounds romantic, doesn't it?” she chided. “A Princess at the top of her tower… waiting for her one true love?” she laughed at her own joke. “No. I prefer it here in one of the wings. Less stairs to climb.”
Black Hooves remained silent at this. It was not the first time he been in this room with her and being alone with her in here once more was starting to make things uncomfortable for him. But it was necessary and it was time to start getting to the point of his visit.
“But I believe you have something you wish to speak to me about, Mr. Director,” Celestia said, once again giving Black Hooves the impression that she could read minds. She walked towards one of her windows and stared out of it as if to contemplate the answer to a question she already knew was coming.
“Your highness,” he began.
“Please, Black Hooves,” she interrupted. “You’re one of my closest advisers and… a friend. Call me Celestia like you used to. I don’t enjoy being placed on a pedestal as much as I have to be.” She turned her neck to one side to glance at him before turning back to face the window.
“Yes,” he responded with a sigh. “I… don’t really know where to begin but years in my position has granted me access to things that nopony could ever lay their eyes on in a hundred years of searching. Things that I have found equally as fascinating as they are disturbing. Things that I have come to realize would shatter the very framework of what our society thinks of its monarchs… well. You.”
It was Celestia’s turn to remain silent. She stood as still as a statue, her flowing mane being the only thing that continued to move. Black Hooves moved closer to her, completely taken aback by how daunting the prospect of questioning her was becoming. But he had to keep going. No matter how much he feared, respected and even loved her, he needed answers. He needed to hear them from her own muzzle.
“There is an ancient tome written by a... scholar... long dead that I am proud to have possession of,” he continued. “It describes the various myths and legends that surround the… creation theory or our origins. Beyond just Equestria, but of everything. The scholar, I believe, scoured the lands in order to make sense of all the folk myths of ancient times that could lead to a more concrete answer. Time and again, one such theory seemed to string many of them together.
The theory speaks of a Goddess who was there at the dawn of time. From Chaos and nothingness, she created harmony and order. She created our land, the sun, the moon. She presided over them both until the chaos of old returned with a vengeance. Some sort of battle ensued and it ended with her being victorious. Chaos was given form and imprisoned by the Goddess.
That’s the short version anyway. My interest lies solely upon the form that chaos was given. Each myth named it something unique but the scholar named it The Ancient. A creature given the form of a dark alicorn with a blade shaped horn and unspeakable power. The antithesis of the Goddess.”
Celestia turned towards Black Hooves with somber look on her face. “I know of this myth, dear Black Hooves. I sense, however, there’s more to this than a simple history lesson.”
“I believe you recall the incident that happened five years ago?” Black Hooves continued, beginning to pace. “The changeling hive that was decimated?”
Celestia lowered her head and shut her eyes. “I do. All too well.”
“Well I believe I know what was responsible,” he said. “The Ancient.”
Celestia cocked her head in disbelief. “I hope you have more to go on than assumptions.”
“I do,” he replied.“I have a survivor of the attack whom, despite my best efforts, hasn't divulged much. But the ancient texts speaks of its disdain for the changeling race. In a thousand years they have remained untouched until then. The way in which their queen was murdered, the act of genocide and… recent eye witness accounts of this creature near the area as well as an account from my own agent here in Canterlot itself has lead me to believe it has to be real.”
Celestia had a strange look on her face. At first it seemed she was considering what he had said, then her expression almost seemed resigned.
Black Hooves continued in an almost liturgical fashion. “In all my years of director nothing has been quite as clear to me as this. This… this leads me to the point of my coming here.” He stopped pacing and gazed over at Celestia. Her ability to fathom what he was about to say was evident on her face. “If The Ancient is real, so too is this Goddess. If that’s case, that means that neither you nor your sister are who you claim to be. If she is responsible for the sun and the moon, then where do you and Princess Luna fit in?”
Black Hooves felt almost ashamed for asking such an impertinent question, but Luna and Celestia had always been the deities of Equestrian society. Their immortality had elevated them to the level of divinity. Where they not always there? Had they not shown a godlike understanding of their magical powers? But where they truly Goddesses?
“Sit down, Black Hooves”, she finally answered, inclining her head towards a chair beside the fireplace. “I ask only that you listen and not interrupt me until I am done. Will you do me that courtesy?”
Black Hooves nodded and did as she asked. He sat and waited for her to join him, unsure of what it was he would hear, if it was even his place to hear it.
“It has been a long time coming, my old friend,” she said with a sigh. “It is time I told you everything.”
Mystic Rune loved ancient history. Ever since she was a filly, excavating old bones and buried items in her backyard as well as learning about the old way of ancient Equestrian society was her passion. When she finally came of age it was no wonder her cutiemark came so quickly. The golden crossed protractor was worn on her flank proudly as she quickly realized her destiny was in the field of archaeology. Years of study and an intricate knowledge of ancient arcane magic earned her the title of lead researcher in the field of pony anthropology. This meant that she spent more time out in the field than anywhere else and that suited her just fine.
For the past few weeks Mystic Rune had been spending her time with a research team of ten ponies in the Everfree forest. The Royal Canterlot museum had become quite interested in a new sub-level found after a cave in underneath one of the ruins that dotted the area. Naturally, she and her team had jumped at the opportunity of exploring this new and uncharted territory. What they had found was a marvel of treasures ranging from jewels to ancient tomes. She could have wished for nothing more spectacular than to go down in history as one of the ponies who had unearthed another piece of Equestrian history.
Seated in one of the research tents, she was inspecting a particularly gaudy piece of jewelry. The design was clearly part of a collection of items that belonged to a noble wizard some time ago. From what she could work out, this sub-level was designed as some sort of ritualistic chamber. Whatever it was, it was truly fascinating.
Before she could investigate the piece any further one of her subordinates, a pitch black unicorn with a splendidly long, light grey mane streaked dark blue, peeked her head into the tent. “Umm, ma’am?”
“Yes, Onyx Night?”
“It seems a few ponies have arrived at our research site,” Onyx said cautiously. Disrupting the boss was never something done unless you wanted your face chewed off, or unless it seemed really important. “They say they want to speak to you specifically.”
Mystic lowered the piece back onto the washer bay and turned to face her subordinate. “And who exactly did they say they were?”
“They didn’t say,” Onyx replied. “And they didn’t seem like another research team. In fact, they looked more official to me.”
“Oh,” Mystic sighed. The last thing she wanted to deal with was a rival research team coming in and claiming stuff she hadn't yet found. However, now that she had come to think of it, no rival team for a find such as this was a bit unusual. Not that Mystic was complaining. “Well, where are they?”
“By the main entrance to the sub-levels,” Onyx replied.
“They better not be poking around in anything they may end up breaking,” Mystic shot at her. “These government types have a knack for ruining weeks of careful work with just one misstep.”
“I left them with Crescent Swirl, ma’am,” Onyx responded quickly. “He’ll make sure they stay out of trouble until we return.”
“Fine, fine, take me there.”
Mystic stood up and followed Onyx from her tent and out into a small treeless opening in the Everfree. The sun was beginning to set over the forest treeline, casting and orange glow on the research tents that were all laid out in neat rows. Their presence was a stark contrast to the wild an unkempt nature of the forest surrounding them. To her left lay a pathway out of the forest opening and into the thick tree lines that lead to the ruins themselves.
“Why were they not taken to me directly?” Mystic asked as they rounded onto the path and began their trek to the ruins.
“They said they wanted to see the sub-level as soon as possible,” Onyx replied, leading the way. “They were rather insistent. I came to you as quickly as I could.”
Mystic sighed. “How many of them?”
“Three, ma’am.”
“Time wasters,” she muttered to herself.
“Ma’am?”
“Nothing Onyx, let’s just get this over and done with,” Mystic snapped at her. “I’m a very busy pony.”
Following Onyx into another clearing revealed the ancient ruins that sat nestled within a thick overlay of trees. Time had not been kind to the ruin’s complex since all that was left was the husk of what was once an extraordinary mausoleum. The walls had become cracked and corroded and were all that truly remained. The ground within the complex was lined with grass and vines snaked around the pillars that signified what was once the original entrance, slowly and methodically taking them apart.
The entrance to the sub-level was by no means conventional. The cave in had created a manhole somewhere to the north of the ruins that became the primary means of ingress into its bowels. The corroded supports now revealing a network of tunnels that nopony had been in for centuries. Nopony but Mystic and her team of course.
Onyx and Mystic rounded a corner placing the sub-level entrance in view. Four ponies stood with their backs to her as she trotted briskly behind them. One of them was Crescent Swirl, turning his head to his bosses approach and grimacing. The other three were looking into the manhole seemingly unsure of whether or not going in was a good idea.
“Ma’am,” he called out, causing the other three to look up.
The three ponies looked as official as Mystic could have guessed. Two of them wore black over suites that covered their entire bodies, leaving only their heads bare. The other pony was, for all intents and purposes, quite handsome. He was a brown unicorn with a light peach coloured mane and he wore a black over coat with gold linings. Whoever he was, he was important.
Mystic found her anger dissipating as she gazed at him. His features made her feel at ease, calming her down and slowing her pace towards the party. Well, calm enough not to ask him to leave the moment he opens his… sexy mouth.
“I’m Doctor Mystic Rune,” she began, moving towards the handsome pony. “Head researcher here.”
The handsome pony smiled and extended his hoof cordially. “Agent Chestnut.”
He had a deep and almost harmonious voice. Mystic found herself slightly stirred up by the sound of it as she took his hoof and shook it. She hardly even remembered why she was so upset.
“What um… To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” she asked, looking towards the ponies that flanked him.
“This find is quite an important one, Doctor,” he answered at once. “My fellow agents and I need to document what you and your team are up to and bring back a report to our superiors.”
Mystic raised her eyebrow. “Geological finds hardly seem like the sort of thing that would concern an intelligence agency. Or so that’s where I've surmised you've come from.”
“You are correct. I represent Director Black Hooves. Our interest is in connection to a current investigation he is conducting and much of it is linked to these ruins,” Chestnut replied, motioning his hoof to the sinkhole. “However, we have the authority of his deputy, Satin Grey, whom, as you may or may not know, has invested much of our agencies resources to the ongoing support of all archaeological funding.”
Mystic bit her lip. Watch what you say in other words. She wasn't sure how exactly she was meant to respond to this.
“Perhaps if you could show us any of the more notable artifacts that you have found?” he offered, breaking the silence.
“Yes I…” she stammered. “Onyx, show Agent Chestnut and his… associates the research tent. Most of what we have found can be viewed there.”
“Yes ma’am,” Onyx piped in from behind her.
Chestnut bowed his head graciously as he and his two escorts followed Onyx back around the corner and towards the main research camp. Mystic felt her eyes fall upon his flanks as he moved out of sight. Goddess… He even trotted with a kind of alpha stallion sway. She almost felt like one of those fillies from high school that gawked at all the pretty colts that never gave her a sideways glance. She shook her head with a kind of self-loathing. You’re a highly qualified archaeologist, she thought to herself. Far beyond these petty thoughts. Pull yourself together, girl.
“Umm… Ma’am?” the voice of Crescent Swirl chimed in from behind her. “Are you okay?”
“What...? Yes… Yes I’m fine,” she blurted, turning to face her subordinate. “Well, don’t just stand there looming over the hole like some over grown hedge. You're supposed to be the historical go to stallion here, not a manhole guard!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Crescent stammered, jumping slightly and rushing past Mystic back towards the main ruin complex.
“Idiot…” she muttered coldly, turning on her hoof and gazing back down towards the sinkhole.
It was immense, the sheer size of the sub-level. And it had only taken her team four days of non-stop excavating and cataloging to finally map out and gather anything of value. Mystic supposed that much of what they had accomplished she had to owe to Onyx’s insight. Perhaps she should give them a bit more slack since they had worked so efficiently. Then again, it was Mystic's ability to get their lazy asses together that got them this far to begin with. They’ll thank her when they all win awards for the work done here.
With a sense of comfort in her own justification, Mystic turned and headed back towards the main camp. The walk was always pleasant. So many ponies were scared of the Everfree yet in reality it was nothing but a macrocosm of undiscovered wonders. Mystic felt almost like a pioneer, braving places where few would tread.
Stepping back into base camp, she spied Onyx giving the lusty stallion and his friends a tour of the research tents. She now regretted not doing it herself, Mystic wasn't half as pretty as she was. Onyx could win anypony over with a swish of that long tail.
She whinnied jealously and continued back to her private tent. There was something that she had found that may be worth showing Chestnut. If she was lucky, he would probably come and see her to examine it. The artifact was found in the central chamber of the sub-levels: A simple golden bracelet shaped like a snake eating its own tail and bearing the cutiemark of one of Star Swirl the Bearded’s followers. The very same follower she knew the mausoleum had been built for. For all intents and purposes, it was nothing but an heirloom. Yet something about it resonated a kind of magic Mystic was unsure of how to tap into.
She stepped inside and proceeded to her wash basin, using her horn to pour a small amount of ethanol into it before filling it with water. She turned and trotted to her desk, levitating the golden bracelet out of a box and examining it. Maybe if she washed it carefully she could have another go at deciphering what was so important about it.
Her mind began to draw from her vast understanding of Star Swirl’s history. He was once a powerful unicorn that was credited for not only learning a vast array of spells, but inventing a whole lot more. Most ponies were under the impression that Star Swirl was nothing more than a bearded old warlock brooding over a stack of old tomes. But Mystic knew better. Star Swirl was a charismatic and an extremely gifted manipulator. He was able to convert a large group of exceptional young unicorns to his cause, using their combined magical power to restructure the very fabric of magic and opening doors to brand new and exciting possibilities.
In the end, Star Swirl was limited by his own mortality. Some ponies, prone to conspiracy theories, believed that his ultimate goal was to become an alicorn. Extending his own life to rival the magic of the Princesses themselves. However, he had failed and passed on his knowledge to his three most trusted followers in the hopes that they would continue his work. The idea was that his magical knowledge would be accessible through an item of great importance. An item that only certain, trusted unicorns could access.
These were all unconfirmed fantasy stories, not facts. Little was truly known about the pony’s personal life. Then again, here levitating in front of her was an item of immense magical power inscribed with the cutiemark of one of his most favored students. If anything could give credence to the conspiracy theory, it was this bracelet floating in front of her.
Mystic carefully levitated it towards the basin and submerged it fully, taking care not to allow it to sink to the bottom. Even with magical levitation, she felt a certain eerie heaviness for its small size.
"I hope I’m not interrupting you," said a deep and harmonious voice from the entrance.
Mystic smiled and levitated the bracelet back out, resting it on the side of the basin. "Not at all, agent Chestnut. In fact, I was hoping you would come see me."
The handsome stallion turned and whispered something inaudible to the nameless pony agent behind him before stepping into the tent alone.
"Just the one?" Mystic asked, noticing the absence of the other agent.
"Yes, I left him to catalog the artifacts your friendly astronomer had been kind enough to show us," he said curtly. "She told me you may have more for me to note down?"
"Indeed," she intoned with a smile. "A few items I took a personal interest in. You’re welcome to take a look."
Mystic lent against the basin in the most seductive yet professional pose she could think of as she watched him walk casually over to the table bearing the other artifacts.
"Hmm," he said, perusing the various golden jewels and ornate baubles. "You took a particular interest in these, you say?"
"Well, those were all the items I found in the central chamber," Mystic replied. "Anything linking to the pony that was interred here."
"I see," he said, still gazing at the items on the table. "And he was one of Star Swirl's apprentices, was he not?"
"That he was," Mystic confirmed. "The main mausoleum was discovered years ago, but nothing of value was ever stored there. Obviously, this frustrated many of the archaeologists that found out who the mummified corpse in these ruins belonged to. Why would he have no valuables buried with him? It was the done thing if you were important enough for such a vast tomb. The discovery of the sub-level answered many of those questions, yet raised many more. Why go to all the trouble of building a sub-level instead of encasing your items with you? I, however, believe it was because our mummy friend didn’t want his valuables to ever be found. That means he had something of great value he wanted locked away for eternity. Something he may have worn, even. Something like this bracelet."
Chestnut twisted his head around and stared at Mystic. "A bracelet, you say?"
"Aha," she grinned, levitating it from the basin and in front of her as if to entice him.
The expression on the handsome pony’s face bore an almost smug sense of accomplishment as he made his way towards Mystic, pausing in front of her with his face only a few inches from hers. "Now that… Is a pretty looking bracelet."
Mystic watched as his horn glowed lightly, enveloping his own magic around the bracelet she was already levitating. The act of sharing the load with their combined magic, even for the few split seconds it took her to release her hold and allow him to levitate it himself, felt immensely intimate to her. She turned, her eyes still on him, as he walked to stand beside her in front the basin. His own eyes fixed on the bracelet.
"Fascinating," he murmured. "The Oroborus is real."
"The what?" she asked, now feeling slightly confused.
Chestnut smiled to himself and levitated the bracelet back onto the side of the basin. "The Oroborus," he began, turning to gaze at her and slowly reaching his hoof up to her cheek. "Is what this bracelet is called."
Mystic closed her eyes, unable to resist his touch. He was making his move, it seemed, and she was in no way going to let this moment go to waste. Wait. How did he know what it was called? Not even she knew that. Mystic opened her eyes again just in time to see his kind and smiling face become hard and focused. Something felt wrong.
Yet before she could even register what was happening, Mystic felt his hoof move swiftly from her cheek and behind her neck, pushing her whole head into the water filled basin with such force that her muscles had begun to spasm painfully. She felt her horn crack as it struck the bottom of the basin, her entire head submerged under water. The splitting pain that followed caused her to yelp as she allowed precious air to escape her lungs. It was only then that she realized what was happening and began to struggle against his vice-like hold. She began swinging her forehooves wildly behind her, trying desperately to somehow get him to let go. But he had her perfectly pinned.
Time was no longer on Mystic's side. The desire to open her mouth and breath was starting to creep up on her as she remained fixed under his hoof. She tried again to grip at the hoof itself. Pulling, scratching and even banging on the table proved completely ineffective against him. Her head was aching, her body was screaming for air and she knew she was seconds away from the moment she was dreading. With one last desperate buck with her hind hooves into thin air, her body involuntarily forced her to inhale. Water flooded from her mouth and into her lungs. The crushing sensation made her feel as if her entire chest was violently pulverized before she began to convulse. The excruciating pain flooded from her chest to her head as she splashed water everywhere and bashed her hooves against side of the basin. Blissfully, the pain began to recede. Her body now flooded with the odd sensation of euphoria as her mind began to flash with memories, questions and no answers. As the sensation continued, she found herself in the center of a vast kaleidoscope of colors, the sight of their vibrancy had an odd yet calming effect on her. Finally, in the wake of all this seemingly unexpected psychedelics, Mystic Rune began to plummet into a never ending darkness.
***
Onyx Night began to panic as she backed up into the table lined with all the jewels from the sub-level, causing some of them to fall and shatter on the hard ground. The realization of what she had just done had not quite hit her. There, before her eyes, lay the corpse of one of that Chestnut pony’s agents. It had happened so fast and so suddenly that instinct and self-preservation had taken over before she even knew what she was doing.
One moment she was talking to him, turning her back for a split second to pick up a certain ornamental dagger and the next he had descended on her, his horn glowing as a magical blade was conjured just below her chin. It was with sheer unwitting luck that she had managed to launch the dagger she was levitating back with her own magic, slashing a deep wound through the side of his neck. The look in his eyes as he began to bleed out, his magic failing him and his utter surprise at underestimating her was an image she would never forget. Collapsing slightly and grabbing awkwardly at his neck, the agent’s eyes began to slowly glaze over as blood continued to pour down his chest and towards the floor. He gazed up at her one last time before slipping out of consciousness and crumpling to the ground completely, his eyes still slightly open.
Onyx was only vaguely aware of the priceless artifacts she had shattered in her panicked state. But as reality started to dawn on her, she began to try and piece together what just happened. Why did he try to attack her? What was he hoping to achieve? What was their real purpose for coming here?
She didn’t have long to ponder on it before the sounds of shouting and screaming began to break out in the camp. She turned her head swiftly away from the body and towards the entrance. It sounded as if the whole camp was now under attack, but by whom? The sounds of scampering hoof steps were now coupled with the sound of magical spells being cast. Bright lights began to illuminate the side walls of the research tent, silhouetting the outlines of screaming ponies, some of them being hit by what looked like the same kind of blade that was cast under Onyx’s chin just a few moments ago. This Chestnut pony had brought more with him then just the two.
Without a second to spare, Onyx dashed behind the table and remained as silent as possible. There was nothing she could do for them. The flashes and the screams continued on as she lowered her head into her hooves and tried to stop herself from crying. Her friends, her co-workers, they were all being massacred by some military group and all she could do was cower under a table. But she couldn't let them get away with this, she had to survive somehow, she had to tell. The Museum had to know what happened here. Hell, all of Equestria needed to know.
The few research ponies that were here were completely out matched and outnumbered. The onslaught lasted no longer than five minutes before the killing frenzy began to die down. The last of the screams being cut violently short as these bastards were now hunting for stragglers hiding where ever they could. They were just research ponies, not soldiers. They had no way of defending themselves against a battalion of agency spooks. And this Chestnut guy knew it.
Onyx’s thoughts began drift towards Mystic. Chestnut was going to go see her. That’s why he left, him and his other friend. That could only mean one thing; Mystic had what he wanted and was most probably dead too. But what? What had she found that was so important to them that they were willing to kill an entire team of ponies for it?
She felt a lump grow in her throat as tears started to well up. This can’t be happening, surely this was just a horrible nightmare and she would wake up to the sound of Mystics incessant nagging. However tyrannical her leadership was, she was not deserving of this. None of them were.
Onyx opened her eyes and peered cautiously over the table at the entrance. Nothing. Not even a sound could be heard. The deathly silence had chilled her to the bone, yet it was now time to get out. If she stayed any longer, she would be joining her colleagues in some unceremonious mass grave. That’s how they operated, wasn't it? She’d seen the vids.
Onyx stood up and silently tiphoofed her way towards the entrance, each step sounding so loud to her she wondered why she wasn't found already. She bit her lip as she mentally prepared herself for what she would see once she poked her head outside, her heart beating so loud and violently she was surprised it hadn't given her away. And then she did it, crossed the threshold and braced herself for what might happen next.
The sight before her made her stomach turn. There, just a few meters from the entrance, lay Crescent's dead body. His lifeless eyes staring up into the sky as he lay in a pool of red. The wounds on his neck and chest were deep and glistening with blood. She forced herself to look away, covering her mouth with a hoof to stop herself from squeaking in anguish.
Fighting back the urge to cry again, she looked around her. The sun was now completely out of view and the darkness of night began to blanket over the forest opening. There were bodies here and there but Onyx did her best to try and not look at them directly, instead scanning the area for anything that moved. However, it was empty. No agents could be seen. It was as if they had simply vanished after swooping in like a plague. Their absence chilled her more than the silence did. Surely they would be looking for more ponies? At the very least wondering why one of their numbers was missing.
She had no choice; she had to start moving, the sooner, the better. Taking care not to make any more noise, she silently crept from the tent and into the open, quietly saying a prayer to Celestia as she began to move past the living quarter tents and towards the opening to the ruins.
She had barely made her way around the corner of one of the tents when she realized she had walked straight into their trap. They had been waiting for her. At least five agents dressed in black and fully masked had been camping at the entrance to the forest opening. Their horns began to glow at once as three of them advanced on her and the other two began to flank around the tent. She was trapped.
She screamed and jumped to the side narrowly missing a magical blade that shot through where her head had been moments ago. The agents were almost upon her and all she could think to do was dart towards the entrance of the tent. She felt one of their hooves brush across her tale as she narrowly avoided being tackled by the lot of them. She galloped into the tent and towards the research table on her far left, hoping that the chisel used to gently remove caked up dirt on artifacts was where it was supposed to be. The agents had quickly followed her in; if she couldn't get the chisel in time then she was trapped.
However, there it was on the corner of the table. Using her magic to lift it up, she concentrated hard on the sidewall of the tent and sent it flying, sharp end first. The chisel pierced through the tent's wall and out the other side, allowing Onyx to use her magic to widen the hole as she leaped over the table and straight back outside. The jump had been less successful than she had hoped, bashing her hind hoof against the table and causing her to tumble through the hole and flop painfully onto the ground. Scrambling to her feet she realized luck was on her side. The pony that was meant to flank her on this side had been unfortunate enough to be in the direct path of the chisel. His left eye socket now playing host to its new resting place, he was dead before he even hit the ground.
Grimacing at the sickly image before her, Onyx propelled herself forwards and towards the path that lead to the ruins. The agents in the tent were far more agile than she was as they leapt effortlessly through the hole in the wall and silently chased after her, paying little heed to their fallen comrade. Onyx galloped onward as fast as her hooves would allow. To her right side she could see two more agents coming in for and intercept, but she had thankfully crossed over into the forest and onto the pathway before they could reach her.
Now she was in full gallop, leaping along the pathway over the fallen branches. She could see the ruins over the treetops. "Almost there…" she panted, glancing behind her to see how far the agents were.
They were gaining, their strides longer and faster than hers. Their horns fully aglow as they were getting close enough to cast their damned blade spells. She gritted her teeth and pushed herself to run faster, darting from side to side in anticipation for the blades she knew were moments from slicing into her flank. Sure enough, they had begun to swish past her as she rounded into the ruin complex and darted straight through them. She had hoped the walls would make her a harder target to hit. This way was far longer than simply skirting around the ruins since she would be running through a maze of walls to the other side. However, Onyx knew the layout better than any pony. If she was lucky, she could lose them before she got out.
Her gambit nearly cost a left hind hoof as one of the blades had ricocheted off the wall and sliced through her flank. She yelled in pain, feeling warm blood dribbling down her leg. She couldn't stop, she had to keep going but her body was starting to suffer. Stitches grew painfully in her chest, slowing her pace ever so slightly and allowing the agents to start gaining more ground.
"Nooo!" she screamed."Gotta keep going!"
She rounded another corner and began to make her way towards the other side. She chanced another glance behind her as she rounded a second corner to her left. The agents had only just come around the last corner. She was starting to lose them. The wall ahead of her was covered by thick and tall bushes. This was the wall she was banking on reaching for a hole, big enough for three ponies to fit through, had been conveniently hidden behind them. She concentrated on the branches, casting a magical field around them and parting them wide enough for her to squeeze out the other side and back into the open. She had barely made it through and shut them behind her when the agents had come back into view. Peeping back through the bushes, she could just make them out slowing their pace down and looking around in bewilderment.
Onyx backed away from the bush quickly and out into the open. To her left was the sinkhole that led to the sub-level, to her right was the Everfree and freedom. With barely enough time to catch her breath, she began to gallop towards the treeline and into the darkness. How long had she kept running? An hour?Two? It hardly mattered. All she could think of was putting as much distance between her and those ruins as possible. Yet her body was aching and screaming for a break. Just a few moments to catch her breath, she needed it.
Making sure she was truly on her own and not being pursued, Onyx came to a stop beside a large oak tree and lent her entire weight against it. She was finished, mentally and physically. The sight of Crescent's lifeless eyes and the knowledge that she had just killed two ponies was too much for her to handle. It was then that Onyx threw up. The sick feeling she had been carrying with her had finally taken its toll. And then she felt tears, unconsciously beginning to pour from her eyes like a deluge. She let them come as she buckled down and hung her head into her hooves.
"F-fuck…" she blurted through her tears."Fuck."
The taste of bile in her mouth started to dissipate as she lay there. The adrenaline was beginning to die away, causing feeling to come back to her. Various scrapes on her body began to throb, her hind hoof ached from where she had hit the table, but by far the worst was the searing pain on her flank where the blade had sliced her.
Pulling herself back up, she twisted her head and gazed upon it for the first time. It wasn't the depth of the cut or the blood that she hated seeing, but the fact that it had gone straight through her cutiemark. The three silver shooting stars that defined her special talent and set her apart from everypony else was now tarnished. She felt violated all of a sudden, yet fully aware of the real issue that she now faced. If she didn’t get out of the forest and to help soon, she would either bleed to death or risk her wound becoming dangerously infected. The time for feeling sorry for herself was over. Onyx needed to keep moving.
It took a surprising amount of effort to steady herself once more as she got to her hooves and ambled from the giant oak and towards a break in the treeline, revealing the starry sky above her.
The stars, they were her guide. She was an astronomer by trade, her involvement with the ruins closely related to the fact that the mausoleum had housed the mummy of an astronomer as well. It was her expertise and knowledge that allowed them to map out how closely the sub-level had been built in correspondence to the night skies above. She gritted her teeth and whinnied woefully. Not that it mattered anymore.
It took no longer than a few seconds for her to figure out her bearings. If she continued west she would reach Ponyville. It was hardly the best option but she had no other choice. She could make it in a few short hours, all she needed to do was pace herself. With that, Onyx Night began to move again, her mind fully focused on the task ahead of her.
"Keep going," she wheezed. "Just keep going."
***
Chestnut cocked his head, gazing at the lifeless form in front of him. He had taken the time to pull her head from the basin and lay her out across the floor. There was no necessity in leaving her hanging there in that awful position. Satisfied that he had done her a relative justice, the handsome agent levitated the bracelet from the basin and into a plastic bag which he stored in his pocket. He had thought it best to wait here until his agents outside had finished off the remaining researchers. Then he would have to oversee the disposal of their bodies.
All in all, the ruse that his agency had created was rather brilliant. The discovery of the sub-level was no accident. They had known it was here all along thanks to that codex Black Hooves was so fond of. All they had to do was stage the cave in and hire an unwitting research team under the guise of the Canterlot Museum to do the dirty work. Then it was simply a matter of taking care of any witnesses. Nopony even knew they were here.
If only this poor researcher truly knew the extent of Star Swirl's true depravity. The lengths that he had gone to and the things that he had discovered. Her and her team would have most likely stayed clear of this bracelet and this accursed place altogether.
"Sir?" a rather impatient voice uttered from the entrance.
Chestnut looked up from the unicorn's corpse. "Is it done?"
The agent shuffled uncomfortably as he took a nervous step into the tent."Yes," he stammered. "We have dealt with everypony, but…"
"But?"
"Well, one of them seems to have… escaped."
Chestnut shook his head in annoyance. "And how exactly did you let that happen?"
"Well, sir. We had created a barricade for any stragglers just as you had commanded. One unicorn was able to make it to us and she… Well, she managed to kill one of our agents and break through our containment procedure."
"Kill one of our agents?" Chestnut repeated in surprise. "A lowly field researcher managed to overpower one of you?"
"Well, two of us." The agent mumbled in embarrassment.
"H-how…?" Chestnut shook his head and looked away. "It matters little. She can’t have gone far." He began to pace as he tried to work out a strategy. "These ponies are all expended assets. Their records and identities have been completely wiped out. Even if she makes it to civilization, she won’t have any proof of our involvement. She doesn't even technically exist anymore. At any rate, we'll find her."
"Sir, would you like us to set up a contingency in Ponyville?" the agent asked, trying to remedy his apparent failure. "It’s the closest town from the Everfree. She is most likely headed there."
Chestnut kept quiet for a moment, the agent staring at him hopefully.
"No," he finally said. "I have a better idea. Send somepony out to follow her movements. Find out who she may seek shelter with. When you do, I’ll take care of her personally."
"Yes, sir," the agent said, nodding his head and backing out of the tent.
Chestnut turned his gaze back to the dead unicorn and smiled. "Looks as if one of your little researchers has a fight in her," he mused. "But don’t you worry, I’ll make sure she joins you soon enough."
It was a minor hiccough but everything was still going to plan. Phase one had been completed and now it was time to enact the second and more grueling part of the operation. The Mane Six and their Elements of Harmony were a threat. It was time to deal with them… and their protection.
Chapter Six: An Apple A Day
Onyx Night stumbled, ambled and tripped her way through the dark and haunting Everfree for much longer than she had anticipated. The slash on her flank had become more severe than she had thought possible since her entire leg was starting to feel numb and despondent. The blood had, by Celestia's grace, stopped flowing. But she knew that she had lost more than was acceptable. The idea that the magical blade had some kind of long term effect was beginning to worry her.
But finally, Onyx had found her way to the edge of the forest. The open expanse and the small cobbled road leading over a hill was perhaps the most beautiful thing she had seen in her life. The journey through the Everfree may have only been a few hours, but it was perhaps the most harrowing experiencing in her life. Well, second most. Seeing her friends lying dead on the ground and being chased by those... who ever they were, through her research camp had left a permanent scar on her subconscious. Stop thinking about it...
She had only allowed herself a moment of pause before she forced herself to continue. Every breath she took burned in her throat due to her mouth being so dry. She was exhausted, dehydrated and, above everything else, on the verge of passing out. But she needed to drive the thoughts from her mind, she had to keep going. Just a little further.
The cobbled road was probably a bad idea for obvious reasons. The less she stayed on main roads the safer she would be. Or at least, that’s what she had hoped. Ponyville was probably a few more miles along that road, but there was a farm not so far away on the outskirts. It may be safer to simply head there rather than into the heart of town. At least until she had rested.
The climb up the hill had been rather arduous but Onyx persevered, ignoring the pain that refused to recede. Finally she had reached the summit, giving her a view of the small town in the distance. Ponyville's iconic tree house library was the first thing she had noticed. Then her eyes fell upon the rest of the town, the bubbling stream that flowed through it and the mountains that lay beyond. In any other circumstances, the view would have been quite breath taking if it weren't for the fact that she hadn't any breath left to give. She turned her head to the left, following the hilltops towards the edges of town and to what was unmistakably a barn, a silo, a small farmhouse and endless fields of apple trees. That had to be the farm, then.
She pushed on and down the hill, feeling her bad leg beginning to lag behind the rhythm of the other. But at least going down was less strenuous on her almost defeated body. Fifteen minutes passed on before she finally reached the gate to the farms courtyard. And of course, it was padlocked. Onyx rested her body against it, trying her hardest to regain her breath. Her eyes rose upwards, staring at the top of the gate that she knew she would have to climb. The gaps in-between the wooden bars were too slim for her to slip through but wide enough for her to get a steady grip with her hooves.
Resigned to her new task, she pulled herself back to her hooves and placed her forehoof on the bar, hoisting herself upwards so that she could get a better grip with her hind legs. This was going to suck, she knew it.
Yip. Her bad leg could barely get a steady hoofing. She would have no other choice but to use her upper body strength to pull herself up and over. The joke of the century.
Onyx wrapped her forehooves over the highest bar she could reach and pulled with as much strength as she could sacrifice. She was lifting though, slowly but surely as she gnashed her teeth in agony. Her good leg was able to find a hoofing, her bad one left dangling, and she stopped pulling. Only for her to regain her breath for the umpteenth time this evening. Then, again, she reached for the top of the gate and pulled once more. Higher and higher until she could get a hoofing on another bar.
Her head peeped over the gate and into the courtyard. Although she could see it from outside she had only now just noticed the distance the farmhouse was to the gate. It was at the other end of the courtyard, the lights were on and it seemed as if somepony was home.
"Help!" she wheezed, still clutching onto the gate. "S-somepony… h-help."
Her voice was nothing more than a dry and throaty whisper that burned worse than her breathing did. Nopony would be able to hear her from the front door let alone all the way back here.
With a painful sigh of frustration, Onyx gnashed her teeth once more and pulled again, lifting herself up and over the top of the gate. Yet in her eagerness to get over, she had completely forgotten to try and angle herself properly in order to climb over safely and fell right over the other side, landing on her back with a head splitting thud on the gravel path.
"Oomph!" she coughed painfully, grasping at her flank, looking around her and seeing a well nearby. "Water…"
Her head began to throb violently as she tried in vain to get to her hooves. But it was no use. Onyx simply had no strength left to even walk, having expended it all on the gate. So, she crawled instead, dragging herself slowly towards the base of the well and reaching for the chain that held the bucket. Mercifully, it was resting on the side instead of in its depths. With a slight whinny, she tugged and heard water slosh as it teetered and fell towards her. The bucket landed with a splash inches from her head, showering her with water. The cool wetness of it soothed her as she quickly pulled the bucket closer and drank what little remained from it.
It was like fuel to her, giving her the strength to slowly lift herself up and lean against the well. Why had she lost so much energy so quickly? She turned her gaze to her wound, now covered with dried up blood mixed with dirt. She could barely even make out her cutiemark. She then turned her gaze to the house behind the barn. It had seemed her intrusion had done little to notify its inhabitants. She sighed and began to slowly limp her way towards it.
The house was only a hundred feet away but it may as well have been a hundred miles. Every step was taking its toll on her. The wound, the exhaustion and now the searing headache was just too much for her to bare.
Twenty feet. Her legs were starting to give way. Fifteen feet. She stumbled and fell to the floor once more. Ten feet. She was crawling again, reaching with her forehoof towards the wooden front door. She was now at the steps, her vision starting to blur as little stars were forming in the peripherals of her vision. Finally she could touch it and used all the strength she could muster to bang on it with her extended hoof.
The last thing Onyx Night heard was the sound of hurried and confused voices as her hoof dropped limply to the floor. Her over worked and abused body had finally given way to unconsciousness.
***
Ponykind lived in an illusion. The fairy tale that they had lived in for so long had become more of a parody of their existence than the utopia envisioned by the Princesses. They had delivered ponykind from the tyranny of chaos and evil, the darkness that was the rule of both Sombra and Discord, yet they had allowed the illusions of their grandeur to stagnate. Truth had become mere legend, legend had become a myth, and the myth had faded into obscurity.
Now that the truth had manifested itself once more, it was time for ponykind to step up and take control of their own destinies. Forsake the quasi mystic ideals of the princesses, their rule being obsolete, and embrace truth, openness and transparency. At least, this was what Deputy Director Satin Grey believed.
Satin Grey was an earth pony, yet she had risen to a station of power far beyond that which those of her race would have been accustomed to. Earth ponies had always borne the stigma of their non magical place in society. Leadership had often passed them by in favor for a unicorn or a pegasus. However, despite such norms, Satin Grey had pushed herself to excel and after decades of working as nothing but an analyst in pony intelligence, she had finally earned the station of deputy. Yet even though she was where she was today, she still harbored disdain for only ever being able to achieve such a rank in her twilight years.
Satin Grey could be described as a fine wine; mature, yet one could still appreciate her flavor. Despite her age, Satin still had remarkably good looks. She had a soft grey coat, a long lavender shaded mane which curled elegantly at its ends and brilliant blue eyes adorned by a pair of silver horn-rimmed glasses.
Yet today she seemed rather frizzled. The Director had been extremely out of character for the past few days and she knew exactly why. The secret meeting with the Princess had seemed to have left him unhinged. Perhaps it had something to do with that codex he thought he had kept under lock and key. That very same codex that Satin had stolen and made a copy of when she realized that her own boss was keeping unnecessary secrets from her and the agency. Twice she had called meetings with him to discuss situations of odd sightings, of a black alicorn and twice he had blown her off. Yet today he had no excuse, Satin needed answers.
She rounded down the hallway and towards the double oak doors that stood shut at the end, Black Hooves' secretary already standing up to greet her.
"The Director asked not to be disturbed today, ma'am-..."
"Sit down, Dahlia," Satin cut across her in a sweet high pitched voice. "This is important."
Without even waiting for the secretary to respond, Satin pushed the doors open and trotted into his office. Black Hooves was seated at his desk with his head in his hooves, only barely registering Satin's abrupt arrival. She regarded him for a moment before shutting the doors behind her.
"Rough day?" she asked, smiling and trotting closer to his desk.
Black Hooves sighed and sat himself up. "Most of my employees make appointments."
"I'm not most of your employees," she retorted. "Besides, I've done multiple times this week. Too busy to enlighten me on this whole Princess affair?"
Black Hooves sighed heavily. "Do I even want to ask how you knew about all that?"
"Really, Black hooves?" she chided. "This is a spy agency. Of course I knew what was going. Sittings of a mythical beast roaming around Canterlot, the destruction of that Changeling hive five years ago that was simply swept under the rug, and of course, the princesses. Both of whom not nearly who they claim to be. All those lies that feed their legend."
Black Hooves merely shrugged at this. All it seemed to do was infuriate her more. She gazed out the window towards the skyline of Fillydelphia, trying to piece together how she would get him to see her line of thinking.
"You went to see Celestia about all this, didn't you?" she asked, gazing over the top of her glasses.
"I did," he responded tersely.
"Well?" she demanded. "What exactly did she say?"
"It doesn't matter what she said," he replied. "It's all being redacted as we speak. The files, that damned codex and whatever else we know that may harm the monarchy."
Satin blinked in shock. "Redacted? You're just going to wipe away the truth and replace it with-"
Black Hooves huffed and lifted a hoof angrily to silence her. "What exactly are you, Satin?" he asked with a raised voice. "The deputy director of Pony Intelligence or some kind of warped freedom fighter? It doesn't matter whether or not the princesses are who they claim to be. What matters is our ability to maintain and protect national security. What exactly do you think will happen to this realm if what I know ends up being leaked to society? Do you suppose there is better leadership than theirs? Even if they aren't the immortal deities they claim to be, even if the sun or the moon doesn't require them to raise them every day, they are our governing bodies and that is how it should remain."
Satin shook her head. "They're not what's good for this realm, sir. We need change, our lives are ruled by stagnation and what may as well be religious oppression."
"Just stop," he said coldly, rising from his chair. "Whatever opinion you may have on the monarchy, just sit on it. I realise you have a very... secular view on things. But this isn't the time or place for it. What we need is stability, not the chaos that would ensue if the public lost faith in the very monarchy that has protected them for so long."
Satin shut her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Fine. I'll keep my opinions to myself."
"Good," Black hooves said, sitting back down and pointing towards the door. "If there's nothing else?"
Satin Grey forced a smile and backed towards the door. She paused just before placing a hoof on the knob, turning her head to the side and glancing at him through the corner of her eye before pushing it open and trotting back out into the hallway. She ignored the look Dahlia had given her as she strolled by and back towards her own office, she had never liked the little whorse anyway.
She had expected no less of the director, stuck in his ways and trying to preserve something that was all just fantasy. The director had forgotten where his true loyalties lay. Not to a monarchy, but to a nation.
She rounded a bend in the hallway and headed towards a corner office positioned at the far end of a lavishly decorated atrium. All the heads of intelligence directorates had their offices here. Their secretaries, all typing away, sat at desks outside their doors in the open view of an indoor pond that was built in the middle of the atrium. The pond's centrepiece was a massive bronze statue of Celestia that stood over twenty feet high. She stood on all fours with her head bowed low, looking down with a watchful eye over the mares and stallions that ran government from behind the scenes. The ceiling had been comprised entirely of glass, allowing the sun to shine down into the room and cast an almost divine light upon the bronze statue below.
Satin passed the statue without a sideways glance. She knew it was meant to signify Celestia's benevolence and supposed approval. Yet to her, it only served as a constant reminder of how the monarchy's influence had spread to every facet of Equestrian society. It was almost as if any independent thought was frowned upon.
Satin had hoped to ask her own secretary about any new meetings she may have had to attend, but it had seemed the silly mare had gone off for yet another smoke break. With a sigh, she passed the desk and strolled into her office. Music began to play softly as she entered. The calming ambience of the classical piece she always loved had seen her through many a stressful day.
She had almost reached her desk before a deep voice from behind caused her to almost jump out of her skin. "Good morning, Ma'am."
"Shit!" she hissed, spinning on the spot to face a shadowy figure in the corner of her office. "Agent Chestnut, are you trying to send me into cardiac arrest?"
"My apologies, ma'am," said the agent, stepping forward whilst levitating a half eaten juicy red apple. "I did not intend to frighten you."
Satin shook her head. "You spooks seem to have an aversion to front door policy." She paused, eyeing him out before pressing a button on her desk that darkened the windows and locked the door. "I trust... that everything went as planned."
"Indeed," he replied, taking a bite from the apple.
"Then did you retrieve the bracelet?"
"It is being transferred to a secure location as we speak," he said whilst swallowing. "I have to, of course, inform you that we did sustain a few casualties."
"How so?" she asked, turning to her chair and taking a seat.
"One of the researchers got away, somehow killing two agents in the process," he replied. "But we have it under control."
Satin shrugged with disinterest. "At the pace we're moving at and the grand scope of our operation, witnesses will be the least of our concern. This whole thing will be out in the open by the end of the week."
"Well, ma'am, I'm only telling you because our witness has unwittingly taken refuge with one of the targets."
"One of the Bearers?" She looked up at him. "Two birds with one stone then."
"That's what I was thinking too," he said, tossing the core of his apple into a waste bin. "Once we move on the Protectors, we'll take care of her and both Ponyville Bearers all in one swoop."
"This reminds me, agent chestnut," said Satin. "One of Black Hooves' Protectors is currently looking after a changeling in Canterlot by the name of Misty Veil. It seems the director’s initial plan to draw out this... entity... has failed."
"I assume this was the survivor of the attack?" Chestnut queried.
"The same one. This presents an opportunity for us. We murder the Protector outright and pin it on the changeling. That way we don't have to worry about cleanup... The 'murder' will also create a tidy little public outcry against their race on the side, masking our own activities long enough to ensure everything goes to plan. Everypony will be too busy focusing on that to notice our own activities." Satin smiled at him.
"I would advise the same had I not known that her and her former lover, agent Hat Trick, were around each other again." Chestnut replied. "Two protectors in close proximity may prove... problematic."
"All the more reason to deal with them then," she said with a girly simper, peering over the tip of her glasses, her smile widening. "The sooner these Protectors are dealt with the sooner we can contain the Bearers. But as I said before, it needs to happen all in one strike. The last thing we want is for them to alert one another of any possible assassinations. We want then cleanly disposed of, minus Firefly and her lover. That I want on the front pages."
Chestnut nodded and began to walk closer to her desk. "ma'am, there is one other issue."
"The director," she responded, mirroring his thoughts. "Nothing can happen until he is out of the picture."
"I suppose he stands in defense of the monarchy."
Satin bit her lip and twisted her chair around to gaze out the window. "I had hoped he would see reason, concede to the truth once he had learned of it. Instead, he backed away like a whipped dog the moment he stumbled upon an opportunity to rectify the wrongs of our nation."
"Did he tell you what was said between himself and the princess?" inquired Chestnut.
Satin shook her head. "He chose not to enlighten me on their little chat."
"Well ma'am, I doubt he may ever see the light."
"And what makes you say that, dear Chestnut," she replied, turning back to face him.
Chestnut's horn began to glow as he levitated a small piece of parchment from his overcoat and laid it out in front of her. "Returned mail from the Canterlot palace," Chestnut began. "The envelope it came in was sealed by the office of the director and sent to the princess Celestia herself."
Satin opened up the folded piece of parchment and read the words over quickly before laying it back down with a sigh and pulling her glasses off her muzzle. "Well this is not entirely a shock."
"Written in the directors own quill, ma'am," he added. "It's safe to say he will always defend Celestia."
"How did you intercept this?"
"The message is about a year old," said Chestnut. "I found it among the director's files when I exhumed that codex of his from the bottom of his drawer."
Satin eyed the piece of parchment with a grimly satisfied look on her face, a slight hint of lavender wafting up from its surface. "The real reason why our supposedly impartial director refuses to bend."
"We have no choice, ma'am, he needs to go."
Satin nodded, gazing back upon the words that adorned the parchment.
You flee from me, yet some time had I sought you. With naked hoof, stalking in my chamber, thanks be to fortune that it has been otherwise, twenty times better. But once, something special, in never ending rays of light, you were my guise, my fate, my beautiful sight. When your loose crown, from your mane did fall, you had caught me in your hooves, long and small. There with all, sweetly did we kiss, and softly said, dear heart, how like you this? It was no dream, I lay broad and waking. But all is turned through my gentleness, into a strange fashion of forsaking. And I have leave to go of her goodness. But since that I, so kindly have served… I’d like to know, what she has deserved.
***
It was the glare that brought Onyx Night back to the real world. The sun had begun to set, its rays shining through the window onto her bed and slowly beaming upwards towards her eyes. The brightness of it began to flood her vision, burning her eyes and making them tear up slightly. She gagged at a funny taste in her mouth and spluttered as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.
She was in a small bedroom decorated with a few posters here and there of what seemed to be a country band she had never heard of. She twisted her head to the side and her gaze fell upon wardrobe with small pictures of three young fillies pinned on it. It seemed that Onyx had somehow found her way into a kid’s bedroom.
Then the memories began to resurface, the screams, the blood, her aching leg. She instinctively dropped a hoof between the sheets and felt the side of her flank. It was heavily bandaged. She felt sweaty and grungy, her mane tangled and swept across her face. Cringing at the sharp pain that coursed through her flank, she tried to lift herself up to a sitting position.
"Oh goodness..." said a voice from the doorway, causing Onyx to jump slightly in fear.
A young filly no older than fourteen or fifteen had poked her head through the door. She had a pale yellow coat and a red mane with a cute pink bow tied behind it. Her large orange eyes staring at Onyx with slight shock before she started backing out of the doorway.
"Ermm... AJ," she called behind her, now out of view from Onyx. "Ah think she's awake!"
Onyx remained dead still. The last time she had any contact with a pony they had tried to kill her. For some unknown reason, it had seem like a lifetime ago. Ever since then, she had felt incredibly alone and scared, not sure who to trust or who she could turn to. Yet these ponies had seemed to have taken her in and looked after, whoever they were. Onyx could barely even remember how she got here. The escape from the ruins, the trek through the Everfree and whatever transpired after that seemed like nothing but a giant blur of pain and fear.
She could hear slight whispering from outside her door before yet another pony poked her heading in through the door. She was older than the filly, her mane a golden blonde colour and tied into a neat and pretty knot that hung to the side of her slender neck. She was either the filly’s mother or sister, Onyx couldn't tell.
"Howdy," she said with a smile. The hint of a southern twang in her voice. "Ya finally decide on joinin' us in the real world?"
Onyx merely stared at her, unable to find the words to say in such an awkward situation. The southern earth pony in front of her simply smiled.
"Not much of a talker are ya?" she said, stepping closer. "Maybe Ah should tell you my name? Y'all can call me Applejack, and that young filly hiding behind the door is mah sister, Apple Bloom. She was the one that found you."
"F-found me?" Onyx stammered through a croaky voice, causing her to cough slightly.
"Easy..." Applejack cooed, stepping to the side of the bed and placing a hoof on Onyx's forehead. "Yeah, outside our doorstep. All banged up and bloody, you nearly scared the hell outta us.” She turned her head to the doorway. “Apple Bloom, get yer rump in here. She ain't gonna bite."
"Yeah, sis..." moaned the young filly as she slid in from the doorway. She moved quietly behind her sister and stood there awkwardly, as if trying to remain invisible.
Applejack turned back to Onyx, rolling her eyes. “Teenagers…” she whispered out of earshot of Apple Bloom. “Now then… Ya know our names. What’s yers?”
“Onyx Night,” she replied slowly. The act of remembering her own naming seemed to aggravate the headache looming somewhere in the back of her skull.
“Well then, Onyx Night,” Applejack began. “Ah don’t wanna pry or nothin’, but maybe y’all might wanna tell us what caused you to end up all beaten and sliced up on our front door.”
Onyx closed her eyes and tried to think of something, anything that might seem like a reasonably well made up explanation for the pony that had saved her life. Telling Applejack about the massacre in the forest among her younger sibling seemed like a bad idea.
“It was… timberwolves,” Onyx lied. “I’m a field researcher and I was out doing tests on plant life and such… They just came out of nowhere. I ran for my life and ended up here… I guess you could say I was just lucky.”
“Apple Bloom, could ya go grab some more of those bandages from the kitchen?” Applejack asked, smiling genuinely at Onyx.
“But Ah…” Apple Bloom argued.
“Please, Apple Bloom. Our guest needs a changin’.”
“Oh, fine.” The grumpy teen huffed and trotted out of the room.
“Timberwolves, huh?” she questioned, slowly lowering the sheets to reveal Onyx’s bandaged flank. “Ya don’t mind if Ah change it do ya? Kind of a private area an’ all…”
Onyx shook her head. “Not at all… You've been taking care of me so far… I owe you.”
Applejack smiled again and slowly began to remove the old bandage from her flank and upper leg. “I reckon y’all didn’t wanna say anything in front of mah sis in case it would scare her.”
“Sorry?”
“Because I ain't never heard of no timberwolf doin’ this to anypony,” she continued, removing the bandage and revealing the foul looking cut.
Onyx bit her lip, silently looking into Applejack’s concerned eyes. There was no real way of explaining the horrors that occurred without scaring the living daylights out of an innocent pony only wishing to help her.
“Ah only ask,” Applejack continued, reading the look on her face. “Because the last thing Ah wanna do is bring unnecessary harm to mah family by aidin’ somepony who might be involved in somethin’ dangerous.”
“What do you mean?” Onyx asked at once, although not altogether in disagreement with her. Now that she had come to think of it, what if she had somehow been followed by one of those psychos and put this family in danger?
“Ah mean,” she began, leaning closer. “That this here cut was caused by magic. Somepony attacked ya and y’all already lied to me about it.”
“I didn’t want to scare you, you've done so much for me already.”
“It’s okay,” Applejack replied, now cleaning the wound. “You were a bloody mess when we found ya on our porch. Ya needed our help, and Ah ain't one to turn some poor pony away. Ah only ask that y’all be honest about anythin’ that might put us in danger.”
Onyx sighed, she had barely even considered the next step. Where was she going to go? What exactly was her plan to counter a bunch of spooks who had murdered her entire team? She needed an ally, she needed to tell somepony in authority about what had happened. She had to trust somepony.
“Are y’all on the run or somethin’?” Applejack asked, breaking the silence.
“Yes,” Onyx replied truthfully. “From ponies who murdered my entire team of researchers.”
Applejack’s eyes widened in shock. “Say what now?”
Onyx stared sadly back at her, her eyes beginning to water. If there was ever a moment to bare her soul out to somepony, now was the time.
